Witch Lost in Japan
by Estranged Sisters
Summary: The Dursleys went to Japan for business as Vernon was made to represent Grunnings, taking their much-unwanted niece with them. While they went out to have fun, she's made to stay in the hotel...thus she's the only one protected from the darkness that fell from the sky but the destruction it caused certainly injured her. Thus she's one of the two survivors Kiritsugu found...Fem!Har
1. Chapter 1

The Emiya Foundlings

After the Fourth Grail War...Kiritsugu resigned himself to his fate that he would die having lost everything. His wife, his lover and his daughter while dealing with a curse that slowly eats away his body. He felt its his penance for causing the deaths of over 400 people in Shinto. That, and taking care of two foundlings he saved from the fire and adopted them as his own children, as his new family. The boy who was at ground zero lost his memories before the destruction happened and it was all he remembered. He too, sported a horribly distorted survivor's guilt complex. As for the girl who wasn't really in ground zero as she was in a hotel but had to endure a painful fall when the building crumbled apart and then buried waist down under heavy rubble. But miraculously she wasn't crushed...just crippled, but nothing a hospital trip can't fix.

While normal humans could not see the Grail in the sky...she could. She told him about 'a dark swirly hole surrounded by a swirly purple cloud and red light' that poured black and red...ink? tar? into the city and next thing she knew, it quickly flooded all over the place and caught fire, and everything it touched crumbled apart. The others with her in the hotel mysteriously died before the building crumbled apart. While she was horrified with the fire, death and destruction, the only 'good thing' that came out of it is that her horrible family is dead. They hated her for a reason they would never tell her and her life was miserable with them. And she hated them back because of their cruelty she definitely didn't deserve since she left diaper stage. She's happy they're dead and free from her misery and she wanted to start over and learn what being happy is really like.

Kiritsugu could believe her as she is unbelievably skinny and underweight. She said she's seven but as tiny as his Illya from Malnourishment. And her dress is old and faded...and at the wrong size. So are her shoes.

The reason the two children survived is because they were unknowingly magi, enabling them to resist the curse. The boy is a first-generation judging by his poor quality of circuits, while the girl is from an old lineage judging by her great quality and quantity. But she too, didn't know. Either she's from an old lineage she didn't know about hence the unknown animosity at her by her relatives, he didn't know.

He adopted the two children as his own and taught them sorcery. But what he knows was what his foster mother Natalia taught him so its pretty limited. He opened their Circuits and as expected, Shirou has a really poor quality while of average quantity. 27 D-Rank capable of only 100 units, a typical first-generation while the girl, Holly Potter whom he renamed Emiya Aoi upon adoption, has 60 A-Rank, capable of 900 units. Pretty powerful too. It helps that the two have red hair. But while Shirou has hazel eyes, Aoi has an unusual bright shade of green they may as well be jewels. If not for Aoi's western heritage and lineage, the two could have easily physiologically passed as siblings.

While he didn't want them to become Magi, Aoi's potential was too great to be wasted and the Magi in him just couldn't pass this up. He wound up teaching them formally and properly after the renovation was complete, and a thorough shopping. Shirou, upon learning of Aoi's horrible background and mistaking her for someone younger than him due to her...size, he tried to be a good big brother figure for her where her cousin failed in the department being a bully to her. Aoi didn't bother correcting him when they were young. She liked being cared for, for a change. But Kiritsugu told him she's just as old as he is, just...malnourished and underweight. So he had to ask Nutritionists on what could be done for her, and they took to a healthy lifestyle since, as well as exercise.

Then lessons began. Maryoku Control and Manipulation Training, and then the teaching of basic elementary magecraft and bounded fields, both academically and in practice. He also taught them many more about magi in terms of academics while physically training them hard, and teaching them combat skills and anti-magus skills and techniques...because his job was hunting down Rogue Magi thus knowledge in skill in combat and magic is a must.

Shirou, due to his case, was limited to Reinforcement and Structural Grasp Magecraft as his specialty, but he could do limited Alchemy by means of Transmutation, a skill Kiritsugu's late wife Irisviel favors, and some Runes his late mentor and mother figure Natalia favors. Said runes enhance the body's strength, speed and agility and low-level healing magic. Kiritsugu thus raised him to be a Combat-Oriented Magus by taking advantage of his limitations and make it into something great. Kiritsugu pushed him hard into physical conditioning, prowess and martial arts as a result as well as good knowledge of chemistry and physics that also required great mathematical knowledge.

Aoi on the other hand, is more magic-oriented than her foster brother. After elementary magic, Reinforcement and Structural Grasp, she is taught Healing, Transmutation, creation, breaking into and dismantling of Bounded Fields, Mental Interference, and Elemental Magecraft with her element being Earth and Water. But just like Shirou, she too is trained for combat. Both children are encouraged to find ways to use their knowledge in daily life and convenience in life, a challenge they took. They learned to use Structural Grasp for their cooking in order to create recipes that create extremely delicious meals with the right amount of texture and taste. Aoi used her magic to create beautiful gardens and instantly warm, boil or freeze water, Shiro used Transmutation to create or fix tools and whatever was broken, and many more. He also tested them on various fields and may have talent...and Aoi has an unfortunate(in Kiritsugu's opinion) talent in Synchronization, the ability to transfer energy by means of exchanging body fluids...and strongest in intercourse. He privately taught her what she has to do and to his disbelief, she took it in stride as if 'Meh, so what?' she would do it for Shirou and even for him if needed.

Both children were raised to have anti-magus and magus-hunting skills Kiritsugu knew and possessed. But he discouraged them from ACTUALLY taking on the job. He said they're more grief than the money it brings-he'd know from experience. Despite what he taught them, he wanted them to enjoy normal life free of the horrors Kiritsugu faced in his life and use what he taught them to protect themselves. In fact, he made them promise to live and enjoy a happy, carefree life as children, teenagers and adults before...he died after five years of living with them with them inheriting all he owned. His wealth, the house, and his Mystic Code, his Origin Bullets and there were 60 of them left, thus each sibling has thirty. He never did tell them what they were made of, just that he told them to use the bullets WISELY as its the strongest anti-magus weapon in the world. Only use it if they encountered an enemy too strong for them that they really have no other options left. Thus he had to get another Thompson Contender made but in a feminine version for Aoi's use while Shirou gets his gun.

The Emiya Children were orphaned a second(Shirou) and third(Aoi) time, with their new guardians being Fujimura Raiga who manages the estate in accordance to Kiritsugu's will. But since the old man was busy with his business, he had his granddaughter Taiga look after them. Afterall, she did learn English from Kiritsugu and became an English teacher because of his teachings.

But the thing is, the kids had to deal with looking after an adult who is waaay immature, bratty, irresponsible(because the kids look after her more than she does them), and prone to sporadic bouts of extreme lethargy or zest. Although flawed, she is bright and cheerful who always bring laughs with others. Taiga is a cheerful woman who's always showing her bright, yet childish side. She is really affectionate towards Kiritsugu, Aoi and Shirou with the latter two she treats as little siblings and very protective of them but because she has no time to help them clean and her inability to cook, she frequently mooches food off the siblings who were supreme chefs at a young age she thought they were cooking geniuses at a young age 12 after she started being their guardian when the Funeral was over.

But upon arrival at Middle School...

They attended different schools. Shirou is OK with any school but Aoi is...fashion-picky. She wanted to go to a school that has a cute uniform in it since serafukus are 'ancient history'. She attended Mikagami Academy for Girls that both has a Middle and High School division...and the only school in Fuyuki that has the cutest uniform style. And they continued their training while living an ordinary life, having friends and such.

Aoi is surprised that Shirou...took home a very beautiful AND busty(for her age) girl to their home in their Sophomore Year and seemingly 'adopted' her. Beautiful with a figure to match...but with a rather passive attitude to the point of _submissive_. Aoi had to teach her about 'strength of character' and some self-defense because the way she is now, she'll be an easy victim for perverts in the streets while Shirou taught her how to cook and do chores. Taiga soon met Sakura and approved of their new friend because Sakura is a genuinely nice, gentle, prim and proper girl.

The girl opened up to them slowly, looking up to Aoi while having a crush on Shirou(which she poorly hides but Shirou is too oblivious) and became a frequent guest in their home, only going home late at night. So they got used to this routine...


	2. Day One

Day One

Three Years Later...

Both Emiya siblings are Sophomore High Schoolers by now and Sakura, a Freshman. The two took to having part-time jobs if only to teach Taiga responsibility in the fact that they can't always be around to feed her, and Aoi drags Sakura to this venture much to Taiga's dismay when she found out that when she came for dinner, the house is empty! Shirou took to working at Copenhagen, earning 950 yen an hour while Aoi and Sakura work as chefs/waitresses in Ahnenerbe, switching roles each day.

But fate changed for them because of a certain event. Starting with Aoi.

She's on her way home from school when she came by a scene that caused her to interfere. She saw a woman about to be killed by two men...a priest and someone in blue wielding a crimson lance. She subtly defended the woman from afar while conjuring icicles and aimed at the men while hiding in the shadows because she is currently not equipped to fight them both. She kept on with the onslaught, forcing the priest to flee, while the man in blue took the woman...and her cut arm and fled, prompting her to chase them.

'Hey! You in the shadows!' the blue-haired man yelled, causing her to meep. 'While I appreciate you savin' us, how 'bout you make it clear if you're a good guy or an asshole like that shitty backstabbin' priest?!'

'H-hey Lancer...' the woman choked incredulously despite her weakened state. 'Whoever that is just saved us!'

'And what if this 'someone' tries to steal me from you like that bastard did?!' Lancer grunted. 'I ain't takin' chances Bazett!'

**I think I misinterpreted the situation.** both adults listened to the voice of a sheepish young girl. **I thought it was two men picking on a woman. In front of a church no less. And what's this about a man stealing someone else's boyfriend?** Lancer face-faulted, taking Bazett with him.

'He ain't a boyfriend stealer, he's a SERVANT stealer!' Lancer corrected. With this, Aoi chose to come out in a swirl of water.

'You're a Magus?' Bazett asked her warily.

'Nope. I'm a Spellcaster.' said Aoi. 'My father despite knowing magic really hates Magi and their ways so yeah, I know magic but don't practice Magus Culture. Got that memorized?' she asked while tapping her temple. 'Sooo while hints of BDSM aside...'

'What the hell are they teaching Japanese Kids these days?!' Bazett wailed in horror at another embarrassing misunderstanding.

'Bazett, what's BDSM?' Lancer asked her innocently to her dismayed horror. How was she supposed to explain that while bleeding in the middle of a damn street?!

'You just said he's your servant isn't it?' Aoi pointed out. 'He's wearing a really sensual spandex piece that leaves little room for imagination it may as well be body paint if not for those other things...or are you guys being Kinky and into cosplay?' that, Lancer COULD understand to an extent and resisted the urge to palm his face...while Bazett was increasingly getting more mortified.

'Looks like she only knows magic, not about certain things.' he deadpanned. 'But anyway girly, can you heal my Master? That shithead chopped off her arm to steal her Command Spells. I'm kinda like, her familiar y'know?'

'Ohhh...why didn't you say so sooner!' Aoi clapped her hands. 'While I can put her hand back, she can't move it in a week! Doctor's Orders!' she fixed Bazett by re-attaching her arm but since she's no expert on fully-healing amputated limbs, they go find an expert. The most she can do is re-attach it and she's not THAT confident in her limb-re-attachment skills. Bazett quickly had Lancer take her home to secure a quickest flight back to her home country.

Aoi decided she had an odd day before going home.

And a few days later...after a Field Trip, she went home quite late only to find that her brother has a foreign girl in their house! 'Shirou! You have foreign girlfriends now?!'

'N-no! You got it all wrong Aoi-nee!' Shirou wailed as there's a beautiful foreign girl in the house, wearing...an armored blue dress that also doubles as fashion disaster. 'H-how do I explain this...?!'

'We are now in a Holy Grail War Combat Situation.' said the girl. 'Seven Masters who are Magi are chosen by the Holy Grail for their wishes, and they summon Servants to aid them in battle. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker and Assassin. These seven pairs battle until one remains and that pair has the right to get a wish from the Holy Grail.'

'I...see...and Shirou, you willingly got into this?!' Aoi sputtered out incredulously.

'No I didn't! My summoning of her is an accident!' Shirou cried. 'That was because I nearly got killed by Lancer in our own house because I witnessed a fight...something about no witnesses allowed...and then she came out!'

'Looks like we're in trouble.' Aoi swore. 'Shirou, I know who Lancer's Master is. I met them a few days ago.' she said to their disbelief. 'It was by chance. I was on the way home when I saw a fight at the Church. The priest attacked the woman and chopped off her arm to steal her Command Spells for Lancer. I thought it was a two against one so I hid in the shadows and helped the girl out but Lancer took her and her arm with him so I followed...before the misunderstanding got cleared up and I helped them out a bit. I thought they went back to wherever heck they came from but I had no idea they're here for that war your friend is talking about.' she said thoughtfully.

'So which of the seven are you?' Aoi asked the girl.

'I am Servant Saber.' said Saber.

'Well, looks like you and my brother are stuck together.' Aoi sighed. 'Shirou, you better survive this one. I'll be backing you up. Father didn't want us to live a complicated conflicted life so after this, back to our peaceful lives, OK?' she told Shirou as she went to the kitchen.

'R-right...so can I raid your closet to lend her clothes?' Shirou called out after her.

'Yeah. Just make sure she wears underwear!' Shirou flushed at this as he stood up.

'Right...so this way, Saber. We're going to my sister's room.' he sputtered out meekly as he led her away.

'Sister...? You two don't look alike.' Saber pointed out.

'We're both adopted by our dad after Shinto went to hell ten years ago. Shinto was destroyed by a strange black mud.' Shirou explained. 'The only thing we shared is our red hair.'

'Oh...'

'Well, I hope we all get along...Aoi-nee and I frequently have guests so I'm wondering what to say the next day...' said Shirou sheepishly. Saber went silent.

xxx

And so...

'Humm...not bad...I thought you're a fashion dud, Shirou.' Aoi whistled as Saber is dressed in a purple dress with white trim and frills with a matching headband and white stockings.

'Hey! I have great taste!' Shirou said defensively.

'You're great at dressing girls but you're a total dud at dressing _yourself_!' Aoi snarked back as an imaginary iron washtub fell on Shirou's head. 'Now then...we better talk about Saber while having dinner.' she said. 'What must we know about Servants?'

'...while the Holy Grail brings us into this world after a Master summons us, the Masters must provide us with mana to maintain our existence in this world.' said Saber. 'We get mana from them but also, we get mana from consuming human souls(the siblings are horrified) though as a knight, I wish to avoid committing such a terrible crime against nature and life itself but other Masters and Servants won't be as...honorable.'

'Crap...Aoi-nee, I need a bit of help regarding the Mana department.' Shirou swallowed. 'I'm a first-generation Magus, I can't sustain her by myself! And I'm better off at fighting alongside her!'

'Very well, I'll provide her with Mana.' Aoi agreed much to Saber's disbelief.

'But only a Master can provide!' Saber croaked out upon hearing that her Master couldn't really sustain her so she has to make do with what she gets.

'I have a loophole.' said Aoi. 'My blood.'

'Er...your blood?' Shirou and Saber blinked.

'Shirou, remember that father tested us to see if we have talent in other fields of magic?' Aoi reminded him as Shirou thought of their childhood.

'Yeah, so what?'

'And he took me away for private lessons?'

'That too.'

'This is that very private lesson.' said Aoi with a blush. 'We discovered I have a psychic ability called Synchronization. I can provide mana by having someone consume my body fluids or send mana through I-intercourse.' Shirou and Saber looked stunned and shell-shocked. 'For girls, they drink my blood. For boys, I have to 'do it' with them.' Shirou is on the verge of fainting while Saber looked very gobsmacked.

'Dad taught you how to have sex?!'

'He made me watch videos about it so I'd know how!'

Saber wondered if she should be here for this. Or if she'd like this alternate method which was...squick.


	3. The Horror of Synchronization

The Horror of Synchronization

Shiro was petrified.

As a child, he, along with his foster sister were trained in majutsu by their father.

Among these lessons were about psychics. Of course, he would know about Synchronization.

For his sister to possess a horrifying ability greatly horrified him.

Aoi can supply mana through her blood which was somewhat OK, but that only applies to girls...as he watched Saber reluctantly drink Aoi's blood to replenish her mana while Aoi was focusing on sending mana to the blood Saber drinks from the inflicted wound on her arm. She sent almost her current reserves to her, which Saber felt and somewhat recovered from her mana loss, while Shiro healed her injuries. Being an improper Master who didn't summon Saber properly through a Summoning Ritual to make a proper contract...no wonder Shiro can't send her mana nor can Saber take from him. That, and she couldn't go into Spirit Mode.

'How about we try it again? This time, with a summoning circle, and the ritual within Saber's hearing range?' Shiro suggested to Saber and Aoi. 'Can that work?'

'Well, a Servant can form new contracts if their Master is killed but I never heard of making things proper if a Servant is imperfectly summoned...trying it out cannot hurt.' Saber mused thoughtfully.

'Alright, let's try it out.' said Aoi with a chime. 'Let's go get the spell from father's books and we'll go to your workshop where you said you summoned Saber. Maybe the leyline there can help us out.' she suggested as they got up and went separate ways. As they went out...

'Saber, how are you feeling?' Shirou asked her. 'Did you recover well?'

'Yes...although I find drinking blood a bit...repulsive.' Saber choked out. 'I'm not a vampire...' she could still feel the aftertaste of the coppery substance in her mouth and wanted to throw up.

'I think it's easier than having sex with your sister.' Shirou shuddered as they got into the shed. 'I know we're not blood-related being fostered by dad but we grew up siblings. I could never bring myself to touch Aoi-nee _that_ way...that's just wrong.'

'As you say, you're not blood-related despite you grew up as family so it's never wrong.' Saber told him. 'It will only cross the line if you truly are blood related. While I appreciate your thoughts, I don't know about Aoi if she would feel the same way you would.' Shiro choked on air. 'Magi use all means to achieve their goals from what I know. Even if it means crossing the line on some occasions like becoming a vampire just to have a life long enough for research.' Saber shook her head in dismayed disgust. From her proper connection with Kiritsugu.

'Be glad we're not Magi then.' Shirou snarked. 'But we're still practitioners of sorcery and neesan, tousan and I prefer to be called Spellcasters.' he said. 'Dad didn't like Magi much, the only thing he likes about them is magic. We practice sorcery while we enjoy life as humans and teenagers. We're not cold-hearted Hikikomori like Magi.' he snorted. 'I guess you can call us Heretics for our beliefs.' he said wryly.

'No. I suppose that is a fresh change.' Saber smiled. 'I don't like Magi much either.'

By how she sounded, she indeed, didn't like them very much.

xxx

'Here's the spell.' said Aoi as she gave Shirou a piece of paper. 'Memorize that while I draw the circle with quicksilver. And while you're chanting the ritual, be sure to focus on making a proper contract with Saber!'

'OK...'

'There's a question I wish to ask.' said Saber as the 'siblings' looked at her.

'Yes?' they chorused.

'From what I know of Servants, we need to be summoned with a relic.' she said. 'Yet Shirou managed to summon **me** without a ritual and artifact. If he had no artifact, a random ritual summoning would occur, and a Servant who would easily get along with him will be summoned. Yet I hardly know anyone who would get along with me these days. I am a Knight and in this era, who would get along well with someone like me? Nobody can summon Knights like me in a random summoning. Chances are zero.'

'Er...about that...' Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly in a bashful manner. 'Saber, I DID tell you that I was saved in the fire ten years ago, right?'

'Yes...?'

'Unlike me who was in a hotel's upper floors,' Aoi told her, 'Shirou was at ground zero of the Fuyuki Fire disaster when the Holy Grail spilled it's contents in Shinto District of Fuyuki City. He got bathed in its contents, effectively cursing him. Before the curse can completely take root...father put a conceptual weapon in Shirou's body that has powerful healing properties to save him from the curse and still be able to live a normal life while becoming a magus gifted with Magic Circuits because of the Grail's contents and the weapon inside his body, awakening his potential as a First-Generation Magus. That conceptual weapon is Avalon, a very powerful...and beautiful golden sheath for a sword.' Saber's eyes widened at this. 'All father told us about is it's incredible healing and protective powers. We didn't know any better but now...because Shirou summoned YOU...Avalon may be responsible for enabling him to summon a Knight despite his personality.' she theorized.

'...Avalon...is originally mine.' Saber choked out, surprising the two with her admission. 'I lost it resulting in my death...or rather, someone stole it from me when I was alive. I was betrayed by people close to me who knew of it's powers.' She took out her sword and removed Invisible Air to show a simple yet beautiful golden sword with a pure, white blade.

Shirou recognized the sword after feeling pulses of a heartbeat within his very soul.

'Ex...calibur...' he choked out as Aoi's jaws dropped. 'You're King Arthur?!'

'Uh I'm pretty sure King Arthur is a man...not a cute girl. Historical Folklore says so.' Aoi choked in sheer denial and disbelief as before them is a GIRL wielding Excalibur, not a man as they would have thought of.

Saber blushed.

'Well...I pulled Caliburn out of the stone and a female...but women cannot be King so Merlin urged me to hide my identity while shaking his head that no man in Britain is qualified to be King but a girl instead...he guessed that no man in my generation has qualifications anymore if all men...from child to adult failed to be chosen.'

'That explains it now...' Shirou sweatdropped as he took Avalon out of his body. Saber stared at the sheath with longing, and took it from Shirou like she would a frail piece of glass. And along with her sword which she sheathed into Avalon, Saber is engulfed in a bright, warm golden light. 'W-wow...'

'Yeah...wow indeed...' Aoi swallowed. 'Well, we better do it now...' she said as she continued drawing the circle over a leyline and waited for it to dry, before having Saber step at the center of the circle.

'I had no idea the ritual incantation is so short, like poetry almost.' Shirou mused as he looked at the paper again.

'That's the second and third verse.' said Aoi. 'The first verse is no longer needed since Saber is already here. Our main concern is establishing a proper contract between Master and Servant which is what the second and third verses are for. The first verse is for the Grail to do the actual summoning, while it's just a Master's job to anchor the Servant to this world and maintain their existence by supplying them with mana. That's what the book says. We begin now and be sure to pour all your mana into the spell.'

'Hai...here I go!' Shirou gulped as he began.

'I hereby propose; my will shall create thy body and thy sword shall create my destiny.' he chanted as he poured all his power into the spell. 'Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail, if thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer me. I hereby swear that I will be all that is good in the eternal world. I shall be the disposer of evil in the eternal world. Clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the Circle of Constraint, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!' the circle flared up with Mana in response as Saber accepted.

'I hereby acknowledge you as my Master, Shirou.' Saber declared as the contract is officially formed...enabling Shirou to see her stats in his mind, something he never had before.

_**Servant Class Saber**_

_**Spirit: King Arthur**_  
_**Master: Emiya Shirou**_  
_**Alignment: Lawful Good**_

_**Strength: B+**_  
_**Endurance: B+**_  
_**Agility: A**_  
_**Mana: B**_  
_**Luck: B**_  
_**Noble Phantasm: B+**_

_**Class Skills**_

_**Magic Resistance: EX**(with Avalon) **A**(without Avalon)_  
_**Riding: B**_

_**Personal Skills**_

_**Charisma: B**_  
_**Instinct: A**_  
_**Prana Burst: A**_

_**Noble Phantasms**_

_**Avalon**(Barrier)**: EX**_  
_**Excalibur**(Anti-Fortress)**: A++**_  
_**Invisible Air**(Anti-Unit)**: C**_

That night, Shirou studied about the Grail Wars in their father's room if only to fully understand the western grading system while Aoi cooked dinner. During dinner...

'So those are her stats...pretty amazing.' Aoi whistled. 'Good thing we gave her Avalon...magic against Saber will be useless and she'll never be killed with Avalon in her possession as it will heal her fast from anything.' she mused thoughtfully. 'If Avalon saved your life and healed you, what more for its real master Saber? Your chances of survival is very good right now and possibly, win this war.' she said. 'If we survive this, we can go back to our normal lives.'

'I guess it's pretty cool.' said Shirou rather bashfully.

'However...we have another problem.' Saber coughed. 'Because I am now properly connected to Shirou...I can no longer take mana from anyone else but him. And what happens if he runs out in battle?'

Shirou and Aoi went beet red and Shirou fainted from nosebleeding.

'I think you broke him.' Aoi deadpanned while blushing.

xxx

That night...

'YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS?!' Shirou gasped, wide-eyed in horror as Aoi wanted to share his bed...naked. He saw a glimpse of her naked body when she opened his bedroom door, shocking him for a few seconds before he shut his eyes tight from horror and mortification as upon knowing what she is, he knew why she came to his room in her birthday suit.

'I have to.' Aoi groused. 'You have to get used to this until eventually, you'll be willing to do it with me for Mana Transfer purposes. We have to do everything to live, Shirou and we promised father we'll live a long happy life.' she said seriously. 'If having sex with you is what it takes, so be it. Once the war is over...we can forget the things we did to survive. Right now, three lives are on the line: ours and Saber's. We can't be a prude at a time like this. You think I want to do this too, dumbass?'

Shirou is obviously very unhappy with this.

Neither is she.

'So uhm...what's needed? If girls only needs blood...what else about for guys besides s-sex?' Shirou gulped audibly.

'Well, to Synchronize...it requires a transfer of body fluids in exchange for Mana.' said Aoi. 'Kissing and blood works for girls but for men, their arousal and ejaculation is needed. In other words, when you're feeling great, you cum inside me at the peak of pleasure.' Shirou went redder than he is now. 'You must feel both pleasure and sexual orgasm before cumming into me in order to absorb my mana and make it your own.' she explained. 'That's why father had me watch porn tapes so I'd know what to do...while apologizing to me many times, begging my forgiveness.' she sighed. 'You don't normally show 11 year olds porn tapes and watch men and women go at it, you know.' she shook her head. 'Well, I'm not innocent to begin with, having the Dursleys for relations. What sealed the deal was the porn.' she said as she took him to the living room where all shoji doors are shut. 'The only good thing about Synchronization is that while activating my ability for mana transfer purposes, I will never get pregnant during sex on my fertile days. But if I turned off my ability, of course I'll get pregnant.'

'Hey, nobody's gonna come in, right?' Shirou gulped as he still made himself blind with his closed eyes. 'The last thing we need is Fuji-nee or Sakura seeing us like _this_...and where's Saber?'

'I gave her a bedroom, and made her listen to my MP3 to shut out the noises we'll be making soon.' Aoi chuckled wryly as she set up their VCD Player, and put in a tape. 'Your job is to watch porn now and before we sleep...you'll use what you learned...on me.'

Shirou whimpered.

'God help me.' he choked out as the video began playing. 'Are our gates and doors locked?'

'Duh!'

* * *

A:N According to website, Saber's original stats with Shirou is

_**Servant Class Saber**_

_**Spirit: King Arthur**_  
_**Master: Emiya Shirou**_  
_**Alignment: Lawful Good**_

_**Strength: B**_  
_**Endurance: C**_  
_**Agility: C**_  
_**Mana: B**_  
_**Luck: B**_  
_**Noble Phantasm: C**_

_**Class Skills**_

_**Magic Resistance: ****A**_  
_**Riding: B**_

_**Personal Skills**_

_**Charisma: B**_  
_**Instinct: A**_  
_**Prana Burst: A**_

_**Noble Phantasms**_

_**Avalon**(Barrier)**: EX**_  
_**Excalibur**(Anti-Fortress)**: A++**_  
_**Invisible Air**(Anti-Unit)**:** C_

However, her stats in my story is different as in this story, Shirou has had formal training and education, focusing on his specialties as a Magus to make up for lack of talent in other areas. With properly-trained Magic Circuits in this story compared to his untrained, undereducated self in canon, its only understandable that Saber's stats in my story will increase.


	4. Dealing with Angry Sister

Dealing with Angry Sister

The next morning...

Shiro woke up in his bed naked and he knew it because he didn't feel the familiar constrictions made by his clothes.

And the silky skin beside him was the horrifying reality of what transpired last night as beside him was his foster sister, sleeping beside him naked. And both of them reeked of sex and as of last night, they were no longer virgins...and his mana reserves are filled to the brim as of last night, too, while Aoi was exhausted. Not only did she give Saber almost all her reserves, she gave what she has left to him if only to set an example.

If possible, he would have to avoid future fights unless fate forced his hand.

And as much as possible, not do it much with Aoi. Shaking his head, he got up to take a bath and cook breakfast.

"Looks like Aoi-nee will have to skip school today." he thought as he wrote her a note and taped it to the door before putting on a bathrobe, and grabbed his uniform and towel to take a shower. His mind is still reeling from watching porn, and making love to his foster sister while seeing all of her. Try as he wants to deny it, Aoi was pretty and attractive. Her body smooth, free of body hair and the size of her breasts were just right. Only big enough for his hands to cup and grope. Her buttocks were round and firm. Her genitals smooth and just as fair as the rest of her body with pink, inner folds.

He shook his head as memories assaulted his mind as he fucked her, and his sister lost in the throes of pleasure. His mind was also just as hazy because it felt great. However, she hated doing blowjobs nor have him 'eat her'. Their lips belong to kissing, and their genitals belong to each other in her opinion. She never understood why some men and women do that even though it's so unhygienic. Thrill perhaps? But oh, come on, ewww...

But to him, pleasure and sin came hand in hand. Because no matter what, Aoi is his sister. NOT his lover.

Thus for both of them, this is just a necessity to survive. End of story.

After a cold bath and some jerking off to make his traitorous junior to calm down and fall limp, he toweled himself dry and willed himself to dress up, and began to cook breakfast with Sakura who came by morning as usual.

He had to tell her that Aoi is sick in bed, having eaten some street food outside that didn't agree with her before going home. He also gave the same excuse to Taiga thus Aoi locked herself up in her room 'in her intestinal misery' until she gets it all out by natural means, having had medicine last night.

As for Saber...

Shirou fibbed that he rescued 'Maria Johnston-san' from the streets after thieves stole her luggage, and offered her a place to stay until her parents send her a new bag of clothes, and money as well as a copy of travel papers, otherwise she's stuck, unable to go home. Saber played along...while subtly giving Shirou an incredulous look while Taiga and Sakura weren't looking.

Maria Johnston, eh?

What Shirou and Saber did not know, was that Sakura already knew the truth about them and just played along.

She didn't want to fight them which was why she willingly gave her brother control...even though it's clearly hopeless on his part.

xxx

Sometime around noon, Aoi woke up when the sunlight got through the bedroom window. 'Dammit...' she groaned as she got up, with the blankets falling down to her lap...showing that she's naked that night.

She sighed while blushing.

"Ahhh...Shirou really does his best at everything, even in bed." she thought in blissful afterglow with her hands on the sides of her head in pleasure as Shirou did really great thus their first times were really worth it even if he was reluctant to at first which was justified. They grew up family after all. But their survival and promise to their father was more important than anything: to live and happily enjoy life and magic's perks. To never 'be' a Magus but be 'proud Spellcasters' who would enjoy life and be happy with magic and live a long life.

They just didn't expect this damn war.

Getting up to go to her room only to see a note taped to the door...

Shirou had advised her to skip school today due to her condition and already informed the school. There's also the cover-up story for Saber's presence that he planned just to get Taiga off Saber's back. Aoi chuckled. Her handsomely ripped brother finally knows how to lie convincingly! 'Mommy' is so proud!

Giggling, she looked at Shirou's alarm clock that read 10:55.

Yep, might as well skip. She needed to do laundry anyway because they made quite a mess on Shirou's bed.

Blood because his big sword was too much for her small, virginal sheath her maidenhood tore in order to stretch...and then there's Shirou's healthy semen stains on both the blankets and bed sheets.

Hot water is a must. She boiled many pots of water while having a bath, and lunch with Saber.

Laundry's gonna be a pain for a while...

xxx

At school...

Shirou knew to tread carefully.

Aoi had warned him during dinner last night about two obvious Masters. The heirs of Tohsaka and Matou, two of three founding families of the Grail War who is most likely at the same school. He would also have to watch out if they'll gun for him as Emiya is also a Japanese Magus Family...before its downfall because their 'dumbass of a grandfather' researched into vampirism and the Emiya Crest seized by the association. And because of Kiritsugu's corruption, what little he has could not be given to Shirou lest he gets cursed.

Shirou also has to watch out for the Einzbern Representative as they're mostly alchemists not suited for combat, they usually hire a battle-type Magus to fight for them...under a Geas of course. The remaining ones would be from the association.

While he could rule Sakura out as she couldn't even hurt an ant, there's her brother who is in a different class...and Tohsaka Rin, the school idol is also in another class. Upon getting inside the school, he could see what humans could not. A crimson bounded field that reminded him of...a membrane. The school also started to smell like sweet honey.

While he is great with Bounded Fields, he can only move in lunch but so can his rivals...and Sakura.

Twitching, he employed his sister to help him out so he would not be noticed by Tohsaka and Matou while classes went on.

Aoi came to school with Saber, tasked to protect her invisible while Aoi removes as many magic sources as she could before class hours end, covering hallways and walls. And the roof.

'This is horrible...' Saber choked as the two arrived to Homurahara Gakuen at around 1 pm.

'We have to act quickly...we only have two hours to get rid of some of them.' said Aoi. 'Tonight, we'll be back here when we're sure there's no one around. We'll have Shirou by then and father trained us in anti-Magus ways. Bounded Fields are easy as pie!' she grinned as they removed Sources from the grounds, trees, school walls, the gym and swimming pool, Archery Clubroom, then the school building's first floor, stairs, facilities and the rooftop.

The rest would have to be done tonight.

xxx

That night...

'No way...' Aoi choked, wide-eyed. They did considerable damage that afternoon and yet...! The Bounded Field is back to normal!

'I was pretty sure we removed what we could...yet they're restored?!' Saber swore at this as the damage Aoi did this afternoon was as if...

'I guess whoever did this got restored in a blink.' Shirou sighed. 'Maybe it needs a lot of continuous work if we are to completely get rid of it without stopping. Otherwise we'll be back to square one. Guns with dad's bullets?'

'Got it.' Aoi gave Shirou his Thompson Contender while she has her feminine version, and each of them has two bullets.

'Let's go!' Shirou went with Saber while Aoi went on her own, each with targets in mind. Aoi who is familiar with the grounds, gym and first floor would take it, while Shirou would take the two upper floors and the roof, working double-time.

To this end, they taped a note to the gate that 'Shirou accompanied Aoi for a medical check-up and would be home quite late because there's also their part-time jobs while Maria went out to Customs to check if her needs were sent'.

Taiga wailed as if it's the end of the world because it's one night 'without food' cooked by an Emiya and Sakura took the chance to sneak away while Taiga still has her comical epiphany.

Her only two friends sure have the patience levels of _saints_ to put up with the immature, bratty, childish, irresponsible woman for so long.

Guardian? Ha!

More like, THEY were looking after HER!

Sakura also decided to stay out longer and eat out before going home.

xxx

At school...

Around midnight, they managed to get rid of EVERYTHING.

'Yosh! It's hard work but we got rid of them all!' Shirou chimed happily. 'All in a night's work!'

'Yeah...missing a day of school and work is also worth it.' said Aoi. 'No fights today either. Maybe the Masters are focusing on gathering Mana if they wanted to kill a whole school of teenagers for their souls to convert into mana or if they're fighting someone else.'

'We have to deal with that too.' Shirou scowled. 'Let's go home. At our condition, fighting now would be problematic. We need to be at our best.'

'And if we find the person responsible for this...what then?' Saber asked them.

'If they can kill children without batting an eyelash just to power their servants...' Shirou growled, his hands clenching the handle of his gun while Aoi held hers up, having the barrel tap her forehead.

'We kill them. Students' lives are on the line and nobody will miss the culprit anyway.' Aoi grunted. 'And we'll do it painfully slow just like how they designed this cruel barrier. Tit for tat.' and they went home.

However, luck isn't on their side...

On the way home, a young girl with pinkish red eyes and silvery white hair dressed in winter clothes awaited them...and a giant...thing.

'Konbanwa, oniichan, oneechan.' she greeted in her cute, child-like voice while curtsying. 'Hajimemashite.'

'Er Shirou...I don't think we can talk anymore...' Aoi shook. Shirou agreed.

This girl...is no doubt the girl their father told them about.

Illyasviel von Einzbern, their foster older sister. And being a Homunculus, her modifications after her creation caused her growth to be stunted. Their father once told them that at eight years old, his Walther Rifle was heavier than she is. And at 18...she still has the appearance of a child.

'You seem to know who I am.' said the girl with a dark smile. 'Fine with me since you'll die here tonight.'

'Shirou, Aoi!' Saber gasped out.

'Saber, deal with Berserker!' Shirou cried. 'It's obvious what he is by the looks on his face!' Saber and Aoi were inclined to agree, seeing the obvious signs of a high-level Mad Enhancement. Illyasviel could only giggle.

'Bing-bong~!' she chimed, clapping her hands. 'You're pretty smart but smarts aren't enough! Kill them, Berserker!' came her cruel order. A clear sign that their sister does not see them as a friend.

Their father warned them about this.

Their only hope is to win and kill Berserker before they could talk.


	5. Family Relations, Busted

Family Relations, Busted

Shirou, Aoi and Illya watched as their servants battled in the streets.

Both siblings thought that it was good thing Saber has Avalon, otherwise one swing of that thing and she's broken like a dried twig.

'You know, it's good we did a certain something...' Shirou muttered. 'Otherwise Saber's not gonna last.'

'Yeah, a wise move on our part indeed. But those blows will still make her feel that one in the morning.' Aoi quipped as yes, Saber gets hit on some occasions but while she doesn't get hurt from attacks, being thrown around still isn't good for one's health.

While fighting Berserker however...

Saber DID wonder why aren't the two fighting Berserker's Master. Moreover they look like they really didn't want to. "Maybe removing those seals took a toll on them." she thought. "It's not easy since there's plenty of sources and all that running around...unlike me, a spirit who can run for hours, they're limited by their bodies." she just hoped that Berserker's Master won't make a move on them or they're toast.

She swore.

Their luck sure is bad...

Or is it that she waited for this opportunity?

Most likely.

It's to her fortune that she got Avalon back or she won't be surviving this hulk. And since the battle isn't going anywhere...

'Maybe we should step things up a bit.' Illya grunted unhappily. 'We're going nowhere!' she whined petulantly.

'Do you really want to kill us badly, neesan?' Shirou asked Illya softly as Illya growled.

'Don't call me that!' she snapped. 'You were never my siblings! You took father away from me! Father abandoned me because of you!' she cried shrilly as her memory of ten years ago was there, hearing of her father's betrayal and abandonment of her.

'That's not it.' said Aoi. 'Father was dying.' she said, surprising Illya. 'Father committed a grave crime he could never forgive himself for. I'm pretty sure Jubstacheit told you he destroyed the Grail.'

'Yeah, he betrayed us! So what?' Illya grunted in annoyance.

'The destruction of the Grail caused the Great Fuyuki Fire.' Shirou told her. '400 people died. Aoi-nee and I are the only survivors who are outsiders in the war. Dad couldn't forgive himself for that. I was at ground zero and being at ground zero cost me my family, memories and barely clung to life, cursed as well. Aoi-nee who was at a hotel that collapsed and crumbled, got crippled. Dad felt he's responsible for us and saved us. Barely in my case as he got to me on time before the Curse took root, resulting in my mutation as a First-Generation Magus. But months after adopting us, he discovered we had potential to be Magi. And he told us many things about himself.' he said. 'Including why he did it.' Illya frowned at this.

'Dad won the war.' he continued. 'However, the Grail, taking on mother's appearance to communicate with him.' he said, causing Illya to wonder why his mother when last she checked, HER mother, Irisviel was the Grail Vessel. 'He said that the Grail interpreted his wish horribly. Father's wish was for world peace, a world where nobody would fight in violence for selfish goals anymore, a world where people like him are no longer needed. A world where he could live happily with you and mother. However, even he knew that wasn't to be because mother was made by the Einzberns to be the Grail Vessel so the next best thing was the two of you.' Illya was astonished that because Kiritsugu adopted them, they too, considered Irisviel their mother. 'However, the Grail showed him its idea of peace...six billion people bar two are dead. The Einzbern Castle stood and only the two of you are in it. The world outside the castle is perpetual darkness. He could not allow that to happen. Six billion lives bar two _dead_. And the whole world in darkness.' he shuddered as Illya stiffened.

'Father wasn't too happy and is very angry with the Grail for its bastardized, evil version of his wish.' Aoi continued. 'So he had his Servant Saber destroy the Grail. Sure, the cup was destroyed...but black mud spilled onto the city since there's no Grail to contain it anymore, causing the fire and cursed him. Most likely as revenge on father and its attempts of having the last laugh.' she said softly while shaking her fists. 'He adopted us, gave me Japanese Citizenship and identity as I was originally British and settled down. That was most likely how the Einzberns found out about me and Shirou. However, a year after adopting us, he began going on trips.'

'Trips,' Illya gasped out.

'Yes, trips.' said Shirou. 'He didn't tell us at first...until when we were ten. By then, the curse destroyed all his circuits, he is almost blind, and suffering muscle atrophy, going home while pretending to be normal was a struggle for him. He could not let the humans take him to a hospital because the hospital would see him normal. Only Magi can properly diagnose him.' he said. 'He lamented that he could never get you back.' Illya's eyes widened and her mouth slightly open. 'Jubstacheit removed his access into the Bounded Field and since he no longer has strength to barge his way in and fight to get you back, he came home depressed. He told us about the Einzberns, about mother and you. He feared that even though he did the right thing, Jubstacheit would never forgive him and poison you against dad and us when the Einzberns found out about me and Aoi-nee. What kept him going after losing mother and you was the two of us. And we knew that one day, you're coming, angry, resentful...father requested us a selfish wish.'

'W-what selfish wish?' Illya choked out while shaking.

'Because before he gets a chance to take on your anger caused by Jubstacheit's lies, he'll be long dead by then. In fact, when we were twelve, he finally died.' Shirou told her. 'He died a cursed death. His Magic Circuits corrupted beyond healing. His last wish was for me and Aoi-nee to live and enjoy life, while awaiting the day you would come with your hatred due to poison...and in dad's stead, we'll take your hate in his place. Everything.' Illya gritted her teeth and shook in anger, shock, despair...

She let out a cry that showed how she felt at that moment.

All she believed all her years were lies.

Her hate, depression, grief and sadness were all for nothing.

Jubstacheit lied to her to give her a reason to fight in the Grail War even though she's a Grail Vessel who only has a short time left to live after her modifications.

Her mother and father died for nothing...and now these stepsiblings of hers are prepared to accept all she felt even if they knew the Einzberns poisoned her against them. And they thought of her mother as their mother too.

She didn't know what to do or feel anymore.

All she wanted to do was just cry at the unfairness of it all. Berserker thought Shirou and Aoi attacked her and caused his Master to cry, so he shifted his targets to Shirou and Aoi who did not move even though Berserker is gunning for them.

'Shirou! Aoi!' Saber cried as they literally...weren't doing anything to defend themselves.

She barely got to the siblings on time. 'Why aren't you two doing anything?!' Saber choked out. 'Berserker nearly killed the two of you!'

'We have to...because we're family.' Aoi told her with a sad smile. 'We promised father we'll take all of neesan's hatred because he couldn't. He's dead three years ago after all. If being hit by Berserker would do, so be it.'

'You two are impossible!' Saber sputtered at the resigned siblings who are resigned to their deaths if it means pacifying their estranged sister?! 'Since you two IDIOTS are not up for it, we're retreating whether you like it or not!'

'H-hey! Saber?!' Shirou sputtered as Saber fled with each of them in her arms. 'Wait!'

Illya was left alone in the streets, crying.

Because his targets ran off and he couldn't chase after them and leave his Master who was upset for some reason. He picked her up into his arms to go home.

'Berserker...let's go to the Cemetery.' Illya sniffled her order.

xxx

At the Cemetery, indeed, it was there.

Kiritsugu died at 1992, aged 34.

Three years ago.

Illya knew they were telling the truth now and was in grief. It was easy to lie to her especially if they didn't know the full story. The Einzberns took advantage of that.

She wanted revenge.

This time, the target is different.

xxx

Inside the Emiya House, Saber is highly upset with the siblings because they were willing to die for their enemy even if their enemy was their stepsister...only to learn WHY.

This explained EVERYTHING.

Saber was summoned in TWO consecutive wars...her first master was Kiritsugu and now her second master was Shirou, his foster son who inherited Avalon, her artifact in a bid to save his life. Illyasviel was Kiritsugu's and Irisviel's daughter, the child she saw playing with Kiritsugu ten years ago and now she's Berserker's master, poisoned against her foster siblings to fight for the Einzbern and most likely has a very reduced lifespan after being modified to become the next Grail Vessel. She was in shock.

But at least, she too had closure because she also thought Kiritsugu betrayed her because she too had a wish of her own.

But for the Grail to be...evil yet it was called 'Holy'?!

Saber didn't sleep that night while her 'two' masters did. Tired from their ordeal. Cleaning up a whole school and now a gigantic emotional baggage her late master heaped on his family...

She sighed.

Having nothing to do, she also went to bed.

xxx

The next day...

'So Aoi-chan, how are you feeling?' Taiga asked Aoi as the two Emiyas and Sakura cooked breakfast.

'Somewhat fine now.' said Aoi. 'I'll never eat street food ever again.' she said flatly. She'll still eat some though, the food poisoning excuse is just that, an excuse.

'You shouldn't, if they're not certified stalls.' said Taiga sagely. 'You missed a day of school you'd be lucky if there's no quiz yesterday...'


	6. Zelretch

Zelretch

Bazett was thinking deeply.

'Heeeey! Bazett!' Bazett was snapped out of her thoughts.

Lancer was calling her. 'Huh?'

'Dinner's here!' he said as the Delivery Boy arrived to deliver their food. 'Money for the bills, will ya?'

'Oh, right...' Bazett fumbled her hands into her pockets, took out a wallet... 'How much is on the receipt?' Lancer looked at the receipt on the takeouts they ordered.

'It's 2689 yen.' he said as Bazett had some difficulty with Japanese money before paying the Delivery boy before they enjoyed their meal.

'You've been thinking a lot lately.' said Lancer thoughtfully while they ate their dinner which was a bucket of chicken, a platter of spaghetti and some hamburgers.

'Well yeah.' said Bazett. 'I'm wondering about our chances in war.' she said. 'While Archer is an easy pick and Assassin is just as easy being stuck to that Mountain Gate, everyone else isn't easy. Some kid summoned a Saber, a tiny girl summoned a MONSTER, Caster is too dangerous, we need to ally with someone who's at least friendly with us to increase our chances of winning AND survival.' she pointed out. 'Moreover I'm worried about that damn priest.' she growled. 'I made sure to send our point of view to my superiors before Kotomine could feed them lies about the incident.'

As much as she wanted revenge, she could not attack a member of the church. Their relationships with them are shaky as it is. Moreover while as a judge, he is untouchable. Damn bastard.

'Yeah, been thinkin' about that too. What about that other dude? Caster is his Servant right?'

'Jean Pierre-Medici? Most arrogant and overconfident bastard. Oh well, he'll die later.' Bazett snorted. 'The servant he wants to summon is the frigging Witch of Betrayal, Medea. She'll do our job for us if he pisses her off and finds herself a new Master she'd actually like...until she gets bored...she's the type to change Masters like we would clothes.'

'I certainly don't envy those poor sods...ooh I know!' Lancer chimed. 'What about that girlie?' he said suggestively as he thought of Aoi. 'She saved us once!'

'I'm not sure we'll find her again.' Bazett pointed out. 'But we'll try. That school uniform is quite...memorable. Once we find the school, we peek in school records till we hit the jackpot. We move tonight!'

xxx

At the Emiya Residence...

Shirou is feeling quite empty as Saber had to recover from her fight with Berserker. Not that he wanted to tell his sister that...

He didn't want to have sex with her again, really...

However, since she is 'quite full', she could sense his low energy levels...and the looks she gives him over dinner and it spooked him.

And the dreaded came when she came to his room...naked. Again.

'You thought you can hide from me that you're out of gas, Shirou?' before Shirou could beg her NOT TONIGHT, she embraced him and kissed him, his clothes vanishing somehow, and feeling her breasts and genitals against his own chest and slowly-stiffening junior. 'You got another thing coming, brother.' she smirked and the looks on her face isn't assuring one bit.

Dammit.

His body betrayed him. Again...and he took her to bed.

'Nee, Aoi-nee...' Shirou mused as they were done with their business. 'You seem to enjoy this too much. You know, doing it with me?' he said with a blush. Indeed, his sister likes 'it' with him.

'We're at war Shirou...this is the only way I can help you as a faster way of recovering your mana. War waits for no one and I just want you to live. We lost father and we'll lose neesan soon because of that damn old man...if I lost you too, I'll be all alone, you know?' Aoi told him softly as her eyes went blank and glazed from her feelings. 'I'll do all means even if you won't like it. You and father are the best things that happened to me...and dare I say it, the fire. That disaster is indeed a disaster but it saved me too. It got me away from a horrible family, enabling me to have a loving one.' she said as her left arm that was on Shirou's stomach gently caressed upwards to his muscular chest, causing shivers down Shirou's body as she began playing with his right nipple with her fingers. 'I'm showing how I love you, that's all.' Shirou blushed a lot. 'Do you love us, Shirou?'

'Yeah, I love you girls.' Shirou smiled. 'I just wish neesan will understand that.' he said softly. 'Had Saber not saved us, I think Neesan will calm down when we die. Then she'll be the last of our family to die so we're not really alone anyway. We'll meet up again soon.'

'Yeah...round two?' Aoi chirped, causing Shirou to sweatdrop.

'Aoi-nee, you're really into this sort of thing aren't you? You like Synchronization THAT much?' Shirou choked out as Aoi smiled and giggled.

'Hehe, only you. I'm...Shirou-sexual, I guess.' Shirou's jaws comically dropped. He wanted to double-check if he heard right...and he did indeed.

His own sister!

'Aoi-nee!' Shirou choked in dismay. He could NOT believe his ears as his foster sister giggled after outright admitting she wanted to do it many times with only him.

xxx

Einzbern Castle...

Illya had the expression of a red face, wide eyes and a comical triangle for a mouth in shock.

Through scrying, she has seen EVERYTHING. Her two younger 'siblings' going at it like rabbits on heat...apparently, her foster sister is a Psychic...a Synchronizer. Their lot are just as rare as Mystic Eyes and she enjoys doing it with their brother...causing Illya to have weird fantasies of her own.

She wondered if Shirou would do her too.

But that can wait.

She's planning her revenge and she cannot let Sella or Leysritt know. While she loves her maids and they love her back, they were created to have a compulsing loyalty to the Einzbern while serving her. She just could not risk it.

She has been on secret contact with THE Wizard Marshall in hopes he could help her out and be a Homunculus capable of living with a normal human lifespan and reproductive capability while destroying all her modifications that made her a Grail Vessel as after the war, she only has a year left to live before she expires! Soon, she received a mail by bat express as vampires can control bats much like wizards control owls.

She opened it to begin reading it...only to find an elaborate magic circle that let out a smoke, and she dropped it in alarm.

Out came a very tall old man dressed like a gothic count.

'Hello my dear.' he chuckled. 'We need a chat.'

Illya was happy to see that he came. 'Y-you really came!' she choked out happily as the old man chuckled.

'Of course...I can't turn down a child begging for my help now, can I?' he said. 'We have much to talk about, my dear.' Illya bobbed her head up and down as she used a familiar made out of ether to bring them tea. 'You gave me a long letter about your family woes and your desires to be re-modified as a homunculus capable of living human lifespan and childbirth like your mother, correct?'

'Yeah.' said Illya. 'I want a chance for a real family...they all lied to me while oniichan and oneechan told me the truth...they lied to me to force me into this war using my anger and I'm re-modified so I'll die next year if I failed to win!' she choked out. 'I hate them all!' she shook in anger with tears in her eyes. 'I have the right to live too even if I'm just a Homunculus!'

'Ahhh that's why out of my three pupils 200 years ago, I chose Tohsaka to be my heir.' the old man shook his head. 'Einzbern and Makiri have evil hearts with the Einzbern the worse of the two...because despite what you and I are, we are still living beings with the right to live. I will help you out...with a price.'

'Name it Zelretch! I'll do anything!' Illya cried out.

'You see, there's three routes in your future that are set in stone by using Kaleidoscope for us to see. But with Emiya Kiritsugu adopting a witch child, a fourth route was created.' Zelretch told her. 'The first route...Emiya Shirou was allied with Tohsaka Rin to end the war in their terms, and like your father, used Saber to destroy the Grail while rescuing you because Kotomine knew you are a Grail Vessel...with Shirou killing him using the very dagger he killed Rin's father with ten years ago. Indeed, after the war, you only lived a year longer.' Illya choked at that. 'Route two...you only had one battle against Shirou and Rin in a cemetery, bent on killing them. But four days later, the eighth Servant who survived the last war intends on creating the Grail, so he stormed this castle with the Matou boy as his Master, and he killed Berserker with a nonstop rain of S-Class Noble Phantasms...before tearing out your heart with his bare hands which he intends to use as a vessel.' Illya looked horrified. 'Third Route...again, Shirou and Rin are allies but things went differently.' he said. 'This route focuses more on the crimes of Makiri Zolgen.'

'Now what did he do?' Illya grunted. 'I have hazy memories of him because I too, am descended from Justeaze-sama's template...' Zelretch nodded.

'The sixth Tohsaka head, Tokiomi is a terribly poor judge of character which led to this.' he said. 'In all three routes, he bases life as a Magus. And because there can only be one heir, and he has two daughters, Zolgen approached him, reminding him of the friendship between the three founding families of the war, and asked him for his younger daughter Sakura so that she may be the Matou heir. Tokiomi who forgot that, that so-called friendship was long over since the first wars, agreed and let him have Sakura. The Matou education that was developed a hundred years ago due to their thinning bloodline was to subject family members to the family Crest Worms for their training.'

'...whut?' Illya deadpanned out in disbelief.

'Yes, worms.' Zelretch shook his head while shuddering. 'They are a unique kind of Magic Crest of the Matou family made out from Zolgen's personal Familiars, prana eating worms that can channel energy even when their host is no longer alive. So far the only known example of a Crest that can be passed down to someone outside of the bloodline, forcibly confers to one's body the capacity to use Magecraft.' he explained. 'Crest Worms are not only capable of expanding one's natural Magic Circuits, but also capable acting as artificial Circuits after a certain incubation period is complete. Since they usually remain in a dormant state, the worms don't have that much direct influence over someone. However, once awakened by the activation of Circuits they will try to force the body to continuously produce prana in order to sustain themselves. Through the use of these and an intensive training, it is possible for someone with no prior experience in Magecraft to become a magus eligible to participate in the Grail Wars in roughly a year, as was the case with Matou Kariya eleven years ago. However, doing so not only will greatly shorten his remaining lifespan but also the process is in itself incredibly painful. For boys, that is.'

'When the host is a male, they consume their bone marrow and part of the brain after shattering his spine, making him crippled and partially insane in the process.' he said as Illya grimaced. 'When it is a female, they absorb the mental energy created after sexual stimulation is made through the nervous system. Usually doesn't consume the flesh of women depending on their master's orders, but if wild, the uterus is their favorite meals. It will eat the placenta after giving its victim sexual pleasure strong enough to fry the nerves of the brain during sex, if ever she manages to conceive during the act.' Illya thought being tossed out of the wilderness in a do-or-die training was far kinder than THIS.

'However, Zolgen created a special breed of worms for Sakura.' Zelretch continued. 'He created a breed of worms made out of the remaining ichor and pieces of the corrupted grail after your father destroyed it, hybridized them and implanted them in Sakura...effectively making a Lesser Black Grail out of her. Naturally he didn't intend for Sakura to live...' he shook his head, looking disheartened. 'And they wonder why I chose Tohsaka as my heir. Really now.'

'With your Kaleidoscope, you can see anyone's future.' Illya said wryly. 'You can make moves convenient for yourself and for making sure good things are done by going through a good route and you'll make it happen.' Zelretch laughed.

'Caught me!' he cackled. 'Yes, I do that.' he chuckled.

'So what happens?'

'It's a long story about the Third Route...' said Zelretch as he drank tea. 'But a good ending even though you die in it but you did the right thing in the end.' he said. 'You put an end to the sins of the three families. I shall explain how it got there.'


	7. The Routes made by Choices

The Routes made by Choices

'As a result of her natural abilities, Zolgen sought to use Sakura as one of his future vessels, empowered by the Angra Mainyu. Having to endure the cruel training under Zolgen and Byakuya, Sakura became an empty and emotionless shell resigned to her fate. When Kariya, Sakura's adopted uncle and her mother's childhood friend, learned of Zouken's intentions, Kariya attempted to win the Fourth Holy Grail War in hopes of liberating her. Unfortunately, Kariya died in his attempt and Sakura was unable to understand Kariya's motivation for trying to rescue her. His death demoralizes her and she convinces herself that she should not attempt to fight against Zouken.' Zelretch began his tale. 'In all three routes before your father unwittingly created the fourth by unknowingly adopting a witch girl who is an heir to a noble house, this will happen and it happened already.'

'Some time later, Sakura met her new brother Shinji (who was studying abroad at the time of the Fourth Holy Grail War) when he returned to the Matou house. Though he later came to love and accept his new sister, he bullied her. This ended the day Shinji found out that Sakura had become the heir to the Matou family instead of him and he became harsh with her, just like everyone else in the Matou house. Because Sakura was apologetic and expressed pity toward him, Shinji took that as Sakura submitting herself to him since she displayed no emotion. Some time after the death of Byakuya, Shinji began abusing and raping her.' he said to Illya's horror. 'And she lets it happen because she feels its her fault he's deprived of what's his...and she needed sex to shut up the worms in her body. Just that, the way he does it was painful and rough. But she accepted it.'

'Although castigated and humiliated on a daily basis, Sakura maintained her bearings with great stoicism. For the eleven years after her adoption, Sakura grew to resent Zolgen for his cruelty, Tokiomi for sending her away to a monster, and finally Rin, for never coming to save her while enjoying life. However, she still kept the ribbon Rin gave her. Sakura drew her strength to endure such hardships from Shirou, whom she admired for his dedication. The inspiration she found came from watching him persistently attempt to jump a bar during a track-and-field practice session. She joined the Archery club in order to be closer to Shirou watching him from afar.'

'In this fifth Grail War, Sakura is the principal Master of Rider, who was summoned several days prior to the start of the 5th Holy Grail War. However, under pressure from Shinji and the desire not to fight either Shirou or Rin, Sakura yielded her Master's right to him, although Sakura retains her original Command Mantra.'

'Shirou has started to realize that his childhood friend Sakura is growing into a beautiful woman, and he starts to feel attracted to her. He also meets Zolgen Matou, Sakura's grandfather, for the first time. Zolgen greets him warmly at the Matou house with a grandfatherly persona and thanks him for being a friend to his grandchildren. Rin also appears at the beginning, and is more hostile towards Shirou than in the First route.'

'While patrolling at night with Saber, Shirou encounters Shinji and Rider. A fight breaks out between them, which Rider quickly loses. Though she has been defeated, Shinji abuses her as he orders her to get up despite her inability to, an act which even Saber condemns him for. Before she can act further, Zolgen appears and tells Shinji to run away, calling him a failure. With nothing more to do at the scene, Shirou and Saber left. Unknown to them, however, Shinji is somehow able to revive Rider.'

'In the meantime, Sakura seems to have come down with a fever, but insists that she is fine. The following night, a mysterious assailant attacks, kills, and uses Assassin's body as a catalyst to create something. When Shirou and Saber arrive to Ryuudou Temple, they find Caster gravely wounded and her Master Soichiro Kuzuki dead. Saber deals the finishing blow and leaves, but unknown to them, the mysterious assailant also consumed Caster. Lancer, who arrives on a scouting mission at the Ryuudou Temple, is later attacked by the True Assassin, who emerges from the false Assassin's body. Although Lancer puts up a good fight, he is ambushed by a mysterious shadow and is slain. Around this time, Sakura begins having nightmares.'

'Shirou later encounters Rin and Archer. Before a fight can break out, Zolgen appears, along with Caster's reanimated corpse. Saber dispatches her, while Archer kills Zolgen. They sense a strange shadow lurking nearby the whole time. During the day, Shirou encounters you and a friendship begins to develop between you. However, unknown to Rin and Archer, Zolgen has resurrected, after using his worms to devour a woman, and forming a contract with the True Assassin.'

'The next night, Shirou and Saber decide to investigate the Ryuudou Temple further, but they are separated. Saber fights the True Assassin, but is also ambushed by the mysterious shadow and perishes. Enraged, Shiro tries to attack Zolgen, only to be repelled by the True Assassin. Before the True Assassin can kill him, Rider suddenly appears and drives him away, displaying an enhanced level of strength and ability that surprises Shirou. When Shirou asks her about her motives, Rider reveals that she was ordered to keep Shirou alive before leaving the scene.'

'Shinji later comes to the Emiya household and orders Sakura to come home. Shirou protects her and drives Shinji away, but he vows he is not done with her yet. Later, at the Emiya residence, Shirou is discussing Sakura's condition with Rin when they are suddenly interrupted by a phone call. The caller is Shinji, who says he has taken Sakura hostage and demands that Shirou come to the school alone. Rin decides to follow him in secret.'

'At the school, Shinji orders Rider to physically assault Shirou, but not kill him. While Shirou endures her brutal attacks, Rin arrives with Archer, which allows Shirou to rescue Sakura. When Shinji tries to order Rider with his false Command Spell in the form of a book, it burns away. Rider reveals that he could not command her with that spellbook when he lacked Magic Circuits. Instead of protecting him, she protects Sakura, prompting Rin to reveal that Rider's true Master is Sakura and that the Matou family planted a crest worm in her body which will consume her unless she keeps fighting as a Master. Shinji flees, but not after causing a boundary field to activate, now preserved with Sakura's mana. Archer opts to kill Sakura before she can use the boundary field to cause any harm, but Rider is determined to protect her Master. As a fight breaks out, Rider is forced to use her Mystic Eyes, revealing her identity as Medusa, and begins to petrify Archer. Shirou manages to protect Rin, but is badly wounded in the act.'

'Later taken to the Kotomine Church, Shirou finds out that Kirei is performing surgery to prolong Sakura's life. When he leaves the church, he finds Archer, who presents him with the question of whether he wants to cling to his ideals or discard them. After consulting with you, Shirou decides that he wants to protect Sakura. Thus, when Rin, who is adamant about killing Sakura before she causes any more harm, tries to visit Sakura, he stops her. She then reveals that Sakura is her sister. Before either can do anything further, they learn that Sakura has fled, hearing of Rin's intentions and both pursue her. Shirou finds her first and embraces her, then takes her back to his house. Rin arrives soon after and declares their temporary alliance annulled, but Sakura surprisingly vows to fight back against her sister.'

'Sakura and Rider are now living alongside Shirou at the Emiya residence. During this time, Sakura grows increasingly lustful and often asks Shirou to have sex with her. They later decide that they should warn you about the impending danger from Zolgen and from the mysterious shadow, which has begun to become more active at night. Shirou goes alone while Rider stays to guard Sakura, but Sakura later orders Rider to assist Shirou. In the forest, Shirou encounters Rin, but they are kept from engaging each other when they hear Berserker's roar. Zolgen attacked you and Berserker with the True Assassin and Saber Alter, causing the three of you to flee the castle. Berserker eventually falls, and the group escapes. However, the mysterious shadow attacks again, targeting you. Shirou defends you, but his defense severs his left arm and mortally wounds Archer. Rider arrives too late to save him, but Archer tells her to transfer his left arm to Shirou.'

'Shirou awakes in the Kotomine church, and later realizes that Archer's arm has been grafted to his body with Kirei's assistance. Archer warns Shirou that using the arm could kill him. Without Archer, Rin allies with Shirou again, and works to image the Gem Sword of Zelretch together with Shirou in order to taken on Zouken. As the days pass, the mysterious shadow continues to terrorize the city at night, consuming even Gilgamesh after he recklessly attacks it.'

'Sakura has begun to grow increasingly jealous of Rin due to all the time Shirou is spending with her. Zolgen summons Shirou to him and reveals that Sakura is one of the gates of the Grand Holy Grail, and that many more people will die if she is allowed to live. Shirou is once again confronted with a decision like that his father Kiritsugu had to make: save the lives of many by killing the person he loves, or save his beloved and let innocent people die. After a period of difficult consideration, Shirou eventually decides to betray his own ideals, forget about becoming an ally of justice, and live to protect Sakura. Sakura, however, realizes what is happening and resolves to stop Zolgen herself. She commands Rider to protect Shirou, and tells her that she may contract with a new Master if something bad were to happen to Sakura. She then flees the house after having Rider lie down in her bed and pretend to be her alseep, where Rin later discovers her. Sakura has also ordered Rider not to let Rin out of the house before Shirou comes back home from the Kotomine church, where he was headed. After figuring out what happened, Shirou heads to the Matou house, only to find Shinji there dead.'

'Shinji ambushed Sakura while she was searching the house for Zolgen, then blackmailed her into obeying him unquestioningly or else having all her secrets, particularly her past of sexual abuse at her family's hands, revealed to Shirou. A distraught Sakura murders Shinji, after which she realizes that up until now she has been miserable and had nobody who cared for her. She also finally understands that she is the shadow that has been terrorizing the city every night. She gives in to her internal malice and shapeshifts into something frightening leaving the house. After a verbal confrontation with Zolgen, Shirou leaves the house, only to find Sakura already attacking Rin while on her way to capture you. Shirou too is defeated by Sakura, but she is unable to kill him due to Rider's interference, indirectly caused by her last sane command. You however, agrees to come along with Sakura in exchange for her allowing the others to go free, on the condition that they be allowed to stop at the Einzbern Castle first.'

'Rider takes Shirou and Rin to the Kotomine Church. After Shirou explains everything to Kirei, he starts out for the Einzbern castle alone, but Kirei decides to come along with him. They manage to rescue you, but are confronted by with both the True Assassin and Dark Berserker. Kirei stalls the True Assassin and defeats him using the information he gained from observing Lancer's final battle against him. When the fight is over, Sakura arrives and stops his artificial black heart, giving him only a few hours to live.'

'You and Shirou are still trying to escape Dark Berserker when, in desperation, Shirou removes the seal on Archer's arm, granting him immense projection power, and uses it to project Berserker's weapon Nine Lives, defeating him. Arriving home, he finds out that his sense of time has distorted. After hearing the history of the Grand Holy Grail and the Servant Avenger from you, you and Rin then help him to prepare for the Gem Sword of Zelretch, their only hope to stand a chance to fight against Zolgen, and Shirou is finally able to project the Gem Sword successfully. Shortly after, Rider makes another attempt to kill Shirou, as her order not to harm Shirou and her mission to protect Sakura are now in conflict and she has decided to prioritize Sakura. Shirou, however, reaffirms his will to protect Sakura, which makes Rider agree to form an alliance with him.'

'On the final night, Shirou, Rin and Rider enter the cave where the ritual to materialize the Holy Grail takes place. At the same time, however, Sakura suddenly betrays Zolgen, destroying the core worm that he used to control her and killing the True Assassin as well. Saber Alter guards Sakura, but lets Rin pass for the sisters' final confrontation. Shirou fights Saber Alter, and ends up using Archer's arm to project Rho Aias, supporting Rider's Bellerophon to break through Saber Alter's Excalibur. Newly resolved, Shirou kills Saber Alter with the Dagger of Azoth, freeing her from her wretched existence. He moves further into the cave, leaving the wounded Rider behind to heal. You on the other hand, is converting Leysritt into the Dress of Heaven for you to wear while waiting for your own opportunity to strike.'

'In the meantime, Rin has been fighting Sakura and her army of shadows using the Gem Sword of Zelretch. During the course of the battle, Sakura continuously curses her sister for her ignorance towards her, telling her of the jealousy she feels. Rin initially brushes it off, but eventually lets herself be struck while she apologizes, hugs Sakura and expresses her true sisterly love. Realizing that her weakness allowed her to be consumed by her own darkness, Sakura goes berserk and loses control of her powers. Shirou arrives and attempts to save her. Despite Sakura's pleas to let her die, Shirou projects and stabs Sakura with Caster's Rule Breaker, the knowledge gained from Archer who copied it from Caster, severing Sakura's link to the unborn Servant within the Holy Grail, Avenger. A recovered Rider appears and escorts Rin and Sakura to safety as Shirou prepares to destroy the Grand Holy Grail.'

'Kirei suddenly appears, intending to stop Shirou from destroying that which he long desired to witness. They engage in hand-to-hand combat, in which Shirou eventually defeats Kirei. Zolgen, his consciousness still remaining in the last surviving worm, continues to struggle towards the grail. Before he can reach it, however, you appear wearing the Dress of Heaven, which reminds Zolgen of your ancestor, Justeaze, who he loves, and he finally dies with satisfaction. The Grand Holy Grail is destroyed with Rule Breaker and you closed the Gate for good, sacrificing your life after giving Shirou a 'cheap body' because you lacked time as your personality as Illya starts to disappear and becoming more of the Lesser Grail but you managed to save him from his Reality Marble that began consuming him after finally acknowledging that the two of you are siblings...and the fact that you are the older sister despite how you looked.'

'And is the Third Route happening now?' Illya asked him shakily.

'Nope. Your father created the Fourth Route because he adopted Aoi, formerly Holly Potter of the Ancient Noble House of Potter from the wizarding community, not that he or she knows that.' Zelretch reached into his cloak and took out ten books. 'Aoi has three routes...read these for her first route...and when Kiritsugu adopted her which was her third route, but her life in the eighth book was far worse than her first route which is why she was happy that the fire happened, giving her horrible relatives a slow, painful death by burning and getting cursed, effectively freeing her...and she got a loving family in turn. Shirou who is an uneducated Magus in his three routes was educated in this fourth because Kiritsugu didn't want him thinking he was playing favorites as Aoi was a better gifted Magus than he is and originally, he didn't want his new children to live the life of a Magus. He originally wanted them untrained, but because Aoi has bursts of random magic, he decided to train them both with what he knows, because he learned from his adoptive mother, the half-succubus Natalia Kaminski, a Freelancer. But because of Shirou's misfortune with his inferior circuits as a result of mutation from the Great Fire, he became a typical First-Generation...with average Circuits with poor quality. So Kiritsugu made him a battle-type Magus while Aoi was more magic-oriented but both of them are trained to be Anti-Magi just like him before he passed away at 1992.'

'The two siblings befriended Sakura at Middle School and Aoi befriended her because at one time, she saw Sakura in Shirou's house, jokingly saying he brought a girlfriend home. Aoi grew to like Sakura because she found her cute, and started treating her like a little sister figure, another kindness Sakura receives, and enabled her to have part-time jobs which Sakura gladly took if only to be away from Zolgen and Shinji longer, and be with the people who cares for her longer. But the Grail War happened fifty years too early, and they knew you were coming. If it's you, they wanted to at least tell you the truth about your father before they willingly die in your hands if only to satisfy your anger caused by Jubstacheit's lies. But if it's any Einzbern representative, they will happily kill them for their lies. They only allowed you to kill them if you didn't believe them.' Illya was struck numb at this. The Third Route has two endings. One was they die in Berserker's hands when you cried after he killed Saber because they chose not to give her Avalon that Shirou has in his possession. The other route was they gave Avalon to Saber, making her have powerful defenses and she saved Shirou and Aoi who were resigned to their deaths.'

'And instead of Rin allying with Shirou, Shirou and Aoi are working together in the war, being Anti-Magi. This route is still unfinished because everyone has their own choices to make as Kaleidoscope refuses to show me the future...and the future is made based on one's choices.' Zelretch finished.

'I see...what about the ninth and tenth books?' Illya croaked out.

'The ninth...was Aoi's second Route and ending.' Zelretch told her softly. 'Because of her abuse in the hands of the Dursleys who never went to Fuyuki as Vernon Dursley never got promoted, Aoi began bearing malice and since she never knew kindness, only cruelty, she grew aware of her powers and decided to kill them with her powers. She developed the Mystic Eyes of Distortion, and twisted their limbs till all their bones broke, and she left them slowly bleeding to their deaths while in pain. She also began killing her neighbors who believed the Dursleys' lies about her and never showed her a shred of kindness either. The Ministry of Magic of the Wizarding Community in Britain who got wind of Magical Underage Activity and went to investigate, discovered Aoi killing her neighbors. They were shocked that she, the famous Girl-Who-Lived began killing off humans in dark, sadistic delight.'

'When the Aurors demanded why is she doing it, she said she suffered nothing but cruelty and torment in their hands, she only wanted revenge for her hellish life. If they dared to get in her way, she will kill them too. They tried to stop her and she made an example out of one of them and twisted him. The Aurors afraid of her, fled, leaving one of their own behind, crying for his limbs. They went to the home of her relatives who found the Dursleys twisted and whimpering...and learned of the truth after interrogation. The Aurors took the Dursleys back with them to the Ministry and told Amelia Bones what was happening in Surrey Privet Drive and they needed one hell of a Task Force to deal with a vengeful girl who could twist them to death with a mere look and she was unstoppable.'

'When they went, they took action and started firing a volley of stunning spells at her but she protected herself by nullifying the spells by twisting them, creating a barrier of distortion. Aoi asked with a twisted smile if they will abuse her and be cruel to her too like her whole town did. They tried to reason with her that they know the truth and would try to give her a good life if she would let them...and the one who gave her to the Dursleys was Albus Dumbledore. She demanded Dumbledore in return for their lives and her coming with them as she still wanted revenge. Only one of them are allowed to go get him. That was Amelia Bones.'

'She yelled and raved at Dumbledore in Hogwarts using a Howler for what he caused to happen, how the Dursleys treated Aoi that made her snap and demanded that he satisfy the girl with his death or the whole Auror and Hitwizard Squad, and the rest of Little Whinging Residential area will die. The whole school shook at what they heard and chaos occurred. Literally. She became a Dark Witch because of her childhood and became that way at a mere eight years old. Children sent letters home about what they heard and news spread faster than the Press.'

'The chaos got to the newspapers and began demanding the situation be rectified with Dumbledore's blood for putting her with abusive humans in the first place, so that she can calm down. The Ministry, particularly those from Noble Families planned that after she kills Dumbledore, someone hits her with a powerful Memory Erasing spell to wipe out her whole memories, making her a blank slate so she could redo her life and put an end to her dark path to becoming a Dark Witch when she lets her guard down as nobody wanted a new Dark Lady after dealing with a Dark Lord in the first war.'

'She was given to the Longbottom Family as Alice and Frank Longbottom are her maternal godparents in her parents' will but both are insane from torture in the first wizarding civil war so Augusta Longbottom, Frank's mother took custody. From a blank slate, she was able to have the life she wanted, and an adoptive brother in her grandson, Neville Longbottom. And everyone was sworn to secrecy about her rampage lest she becomes a Dark Witch again. She was treated in the Wizarding Hospital for her injuries and malnutrition caused by the Dursleys and the rest of Little Whinging made to forget about her. To fill in the empty houses, first-generation witches and wizards moved in and made the homes their own and those who died in her rampage, their existence and files were erased. Thus she lived out her unknowing second life with a good family. With Dumbledore's death, his Deputy Headmistress became Headmistress, and had to deal with hiring a new Deputy Head, Transfiguration Teacher and Defense Teacher. And in the posts Dumbledore left behind after his slow and painful death, elderly wizards took his places in the British Wizarding Government. With the problem nipped in the bud, things calmed down, and Aoi grew up a proper witch born from a noble family as the Longbottoms had to adjust. From their usual strict and stern persona on Neville in hopes to groom him into a proper heir, they showed her what she wanted. Kindness, love and care. She grew up a happy, cheerful witch who knew the truth about her parents and got fostered by her maternal godparents' family who were kind to her. But they DID lie about one thing...'

'What did they lie about in this route?' Illya frowned.

'Because Aoi was unconscious and memory-wiped in hospital and with her eight years of life gone, the Longbottoms lied to her that as a child, she fell down the stairs because she slipped on the carpet covering the stairs and hit her frail head so hard she was near death when they rushed her to the hospital and she was barely saved in time, but got into a coma for five years thus when she woke, she was a total blank. This lie was spread to make the story consistent.' Illya sweatdropped. 'That is her second route. But the books in the first route will still happen, only, her best friend was her adoptive brother instead of Ron Weasley in her first route. And unlike Ron Weasley, Neville was hardworking and caring of his adoptive sister and supporting of her. With a different best friend, Aoi didn't get into much trouble compared to her first route.'

'As for the tenth book, it contains knowledge of her family she never knew about. I leave it to you to give to her.' he said. 'I had a hard time writing those books, at least make sure she gets the First Route and Tenth books. Because she has a duty to fulfill to put an end to a Dark Wizard who committed a foul perversion of the Third Magic. In the Third Route, everyone in the British Community thought that Aoi died with the Dursleys in the fire as the wards in Number 4 Privet Drive crashed down with Petunia's death but because her accounts are still active, they are looking for her in Japan from top to bottom as they had no idea WHERE in Japan the Dursleys went.' he said wryly. 'And since they have no idea what she looks like, they are relying on her resemblance to Lily and James Potter, and the tell-tale lightning scar on the right side of her forehead.'

'Right now...they're in Tokyo. Because most Business Corporations are in big cities, so...'


	8. Bazett's Intentions

Bazett's Intentions

Illya has a lot to think about.

She has to help save two lives because of Tokiomi and Zolgen's choices. And she has about TEN books to frigging read containing Aoi's life in her two routes and her heritage as a witch from Nobility.

And she temporarily sent Sella and Leysritt away to live in a hotel with some money, lying that she has to do experiments of high mana levels they cannot withstand because she sees Caster as a threat, being Medea and stop the witch from possibly stealing her Berserker from her. The two maids obeyed but would send her meals.

In reality, Illya got busy with Zelretch who re-modified her. And together, they created spare bodies of people involved through Alchemy. They used high level alchemy to clone Shirou, Aoi, Rin, and Sakura's bodies but the bodies had different souls which Illya sent back to Akasha using what little of Third Magic she has while preserving the bodies in tanks and blank souls still keep coming for the bodies. Only then did she recall Leysritt back 'for assistance'. Leysritt was also re-modified. Indeed, she'll become her Dress of Heaven but since Illya is no longer a Grail Vessel, the Mystic Code has to be re-modified to still enable Illya to survive and invoke Heaven's Feel without dying.

It has been a tough week for her even with Zelretch's help.

During this week...

The others got busier.

Bazett and Lancer, having found Aoi in Mikagami High School's Files, found her records.

Stunned that she has both an English and Japanese name with two citizenships and originally british before being adopted by the famous Magus Killer to become Emiya Aoi, Bazett wanted to tread carefully and approach the girl when school was out the next day after combing all of Fuyuki's High Schools. When they went to her address...Lancer revealed that Saber's Master LIVES here and the name on the wooden plate above the doorbell was EMIYA...it means she lives with the Master who was also her brother.

In the meantime, one Matou Shinji raged and raved as Blood Fort Andromeda was dismantled by someone and he had to wait another ten days to get it done, and took his rage out on his sister and Rider. While Rider is willing to accept abuse because she is just a Servant, she would not let him harm her principal Master by threatening him with death. As long as Rider was around, Sakura has brief reprieve.

Caster, to compensate that her Master is a human who could not provide her Mana, uses her Dragontooth Warriors to steal souls for her and Rin was busy cleaning up her Familiars to save as many lives as she could while Shirou and Aoi were glad that nobody's moving yet, enabling them to fully recover and resume life as normal...

Well, almost.

Shirou was annoyed that someone is re-constructing the same field, and at Mikagami High School...

After dismissal time, their target came out of school with some girl friends.

'There she is, Baz.' said Lancer. 'Time to play the good tourist cop.' he said as Bazett came out to approach Aoi.

'Excuse us girls,' said Bazett in purposefully foreign, messed-up Japanese. 'Can I talk to your foreign friend?' the girls exchanged looks but Aoi's posture was clearly someone ready for battle.

xxx

'OK so what do you guys want from me?' Aoi asked the two.

'We want to see if there's a possible alliance with you.' said Bazett. 'We'd normally talk to your brother but with Saber guarding him, well...' she said sheepishly.

'Well, it's up to them since I'm only supporting my brother, not really an active fighter.' said Aoi with a shrug as she took out a cellphone.

'...what's that?' Bazett frowned causing Aoi to groan. She knew father said Magi are inept in some things, but to not even know of a famous, recently-developed cellphone...!

'Bloody Magi! Study human technology will you?!' she griped petulantly, bemoaning about the incredulity of it all.

'That's a cellphone, Nokia 3110 produced by Nokia Company in Hungary this year so it's the latest model.' Lancer quipped as Bazett gave him an incredulous look as Aoi cracked up. 'What? The Grail jams in us knowledge about modern society so we can adapt and blend in better while fighting in the war.'

'Lancer knows more than you! Jeezus!' Aoi exclaimed incredulously as Bazett blushed and puffed up her cheeks indignantly.

'Excuse me!' Bazett pouted. 'Magi don't live alongside humans you know! Moreover majority of our kind look down and don't bother studying about humans.' she deadpanned. 'Particularly those snooty families who have Lords in their titles!'

'Then good thing father did otherwise he wouldn't have won the last war.' Aoi scoffed as she sent Shiro a text message. 'Knowing both worlds helped him win.'

'I see...but no wish was made and the result was the Fuyuki Fire though. Never knew the Magus Killer won.' Bazett mused thoughtfully as Aoi wondered HOW MANY TIMES should she repeat the truth.

Bazett and Lancer were stunned.

'The Grail is...corrupt, you say? Kiritsugu Emiya's wish was twisted by it by killing off six billion people bar him and his daughter so he destroyed it and the fire happened?' Bazett croaked out as Aoi nodded.

'Yeah.' Aoi nodded. 'Go to Shinto District...particularly a park full of dead trees where the corruption is at its most concentrated. You'll know we're telling the truth. There's no hope in this war. Only senseless battles for an evil, corrupted prize. No sense telling the Association, they'll do all means to reach Akasha even if it means releasing that corruption into this world, killing us all. They'll open Pandora's Box where disaster shall come out in their greedy hopes to reach Akasha and gain the power of True Magic.' she said stiffly. 'This time, unlike the original box, _there's no hope_.'

'So what will you do?' Bazett asked her in bated breath. Horrified at what she learned.

'We intend to finish what father started...only this time, we'll finish the damn job. If you wish to ally with us despite this, ring the doorbell in our house.' and she vanished before their eyes.

'Well...' Lancer scratched his head. 'Shit. If what she says is true...there's no point of this in the first place.' he said wryly. 'So we check out Shinto?'

'Yeah. And that park.' Bazett mused softly. 'If we really do feel the aftermath of the war there...we better change our plans. I want a fight, but not at the cost of our world, dammit.'

xxx

Homurahara, Rooftop...

Archer stood on guard, guarding Rin while she takes care of the Sources he knew Rider made. There's just one thing strange about this one after dealing with three routes for hundreds of times now, trapped in a time paradox since making that contract with Alaya to become a Hero of Justice as he wanted as a child...but it brought him nothing but misery.

But in the Third Routes, Shirou never became him but he never expected this fourth route.

Kiritsugu adopting an orphaned british girl, becoming his and Illya's foster sister who is Psychic, and more than happy to screw him from what he's seeing, watching from afar whether or not he has mana loss is up for debate. Shirou did not team up with Rin because he and his sister are well-trainer Magus Killers. And this Shirou unlike the three routes, is formally, completely educated, willing to kill if only to survive with his sister...but both are willing to die in Illya's hands after telling her the truth even he himself didn't know about. They had two promises with their father; to live and enjoy life alongside magic or make Illya happy. Whether or not they die is in Illya's hands.

To say he was shocked is an understatement.

But at least this Shirou isn't like him and the three routes. The first Route is what made him the way he is now. Route two Rin manages to sway him somehow away from his twisted ideals and choose a normal life(but Archer still ends up in it due to reality paradox or something), and third, Shirou chose Sakura over the world with the ending being he lives happily with the sisters and Rider, marrying Sakura in the end! Not only did he choose her over the world and marrying her(sharing with Rin and Rider even, lucky bastard...was he THAT lovable that they're willing to be in a love-**square**?), he also needs her to help him run his new, puppet body courtesy of one Aozaki Touko as his Magic Circuits were beyond ruin courtesy of their Reality Marble. The fault lies in the fact that Kiritsugu deliberately undereducated him to discourage him, but the man underestimated Shirou's determination.

This time, either sister is highly unlikely...because of his foster sister who may end up being his lover for real, not for convenience. It was twisted as it is so he'll watch over these two carefully...and they may or may not ally with Bazett.

As far as he's concerned, Ranking of Servants is as for three routes, Gilgamesh not included:

1. Berserker  
2. Caster  
3. Saber  
4. Rider  
5. Archer(without his reality marble but if he activates it, he would be 1)  
6. Lancer  
7. Assassin

This route?

1. Saber(she was given back her Avalon thus she's nigh invulnerable) Archer never knew all Shirous all have Avalon in their bodies courtesy of Kiritsugu...  
2. Berserker  
3. Caster  
4. Rider  
5. Archer  
6. Lancer  
7. Assassin

He just hoped Route 3 won't happen...or dealing with a Saber Alter WITH Avalon will be one's worst nightmare...nothing can kill her then!

xxx

Homurahara Gakuen...

Rooftop, Saber twitched.

'Lancer's Master seriously wants to ally with us?' Saber sputtered incredulously, 'After our first day?!' yep, first meeting was MEMORABLE.

'Apparently.' said Shirou dryly. 'Aoi-nee knows her since she once saved her life and her chances in the Grail War because that damn priest nearly killed her to steal her Command Spells and Lancer. That woman must have felt we're a safer bet to ally with...although that's up for debate as Aoi-nee told her the truth about the Grail. If they still want that alliance, they would ring the doorbell in our house. If not and they told the Association, they're fair game.' he grinned ferally as he made a playful 'bang~!' gesture with his right hand.

'Very well.' Saber nodded.

'The problem would be those damn magi in the association...' Shirou scratched his head. 'For them Akasha is more important than the world as we know it...' he scowled grumpily. 'Oh well, time to run the old man's gun just to stop these bastards. We spare no one if they still want it despite what will happen. Oh yes...' Shirou wolfed down his food and began removing Sources from the roof and the walls of the small part of the building that has the school generator and satellite dish. 'Honestly, we better find this bastard...he just won't quit!'

Dismissal as Rin was in the 'go home club'...

'What? There's a student at school who's also a Master?' Rin practically had her eyes comically wide but what she feels was flabbergasted horror. 'And Lancer's Master wants to Ally with SABER'S Master?!' she was close to having apoplectic shock.

'Yeah, it was fortunate I was in Spirit Form keeping watch at the rooftop. It was by chance that the kid chose to eat lunch there to talk to Saber about their plans.' said Archer. 'They were targeting Masters who are bent on consuming human souls for prana supply and they're bent on stalling who's responsible for the Bounded Field in this school. He is here with his sister as he mentioned someone he called Aoi-nee-' Rin flinched. 'Rin?'

'I-ie...just that...mother's name is still a sour issue for me.' Rin shook her head. Her mother went insane when her father died, by trapping herself in a world of her own making where her husband and Sakura are still around but confined to a wheelchair. She died six years after. 'Continue.'

'Right,' Archer coughed. 'His sister is working with him. They must be the ones responsible for a rapid dismantling of the field some nights ago as one person cannot do dismantling fifty or so Sources on their own. Whoever created this, is their Mark.'

He conveniently left out what else he knows.

Because Archer wanted to see how much his much smarter self in this fourth route can do. The Shirou here is much smarter and saner who thinks for himself and his sisters. He'll let Rin learn all else on her own. She can't be spoonfed all the time.

'I see.' Rin began thinking. 'I'll have you watch this guy and share your perception with me so I can think of something to do. Once they're gonna move, connect with me. I need to know what they can do.'

'Right...' and he was gone, leaving Rin to stew because two Masters will be allying.

Yep, Archer's not gonna tell her stuff yet. It won't be fun if too many Masters ally, right?


	9. Some pieces of History

Some pieces of History

That night...Emiya Residence...

'I got rid of Fuji-nee.' said Shirou as he got home. 'I managed to use a spell to make her eat out in a restaurant for dinner and go straight home, tired from paperwork and informed neesan by sending Bird Express over.' he said with a grin.

'And what about your part-time jobs?' Saber asked the siblings who proceeded to cook.

'Managed to make everyone temporarily forget us for the time being.' said Aoi. 'Well, tonight is an important night...and Saber, not in fighting uniform please! Dress in something cute!' Saber choked on her Orange Juice. 'You can transform anytime you want anyway at least put cute stuff on if only to lower Lancer's guard.' she advised. 'Boys are a sucker for cute girls.' she winked as Shirou nearly tripped on his slippers while carrying pickles.

'Aoi-nee!'

'Er...I don't know this world's modern-day fashion...' Saber REALLY wanted to escape dress-up...Aoi insists that she wears different things every day like a normal person would just to stave off suspicions of neighbors and their very annoying guardian. To her horror, Aoi beamed.

Saber whimpered.

Being raised as a man, she is downright horrified of shopping and long dress-up tryouts.

Shirou, knowing Saber's history, pitied the poor girl.

Aoi is very picky and particular with fashion and matching things up. No matter what brand, even from second-hand shops and thrift stores as long as they're cute and stylish, she gets them come hell or high waters. When she's tired of them, she simply sells them to different thrift stores and second hand shops to make room for new clothes even if she only gets half or a third of the money that she paid them for.

She's also the one responsible for his clothes because he is a 'fashion dud'.

Good thing shopping is only yearly. If it was monthly or weekly, he'll DIE!

Shuddering, he distracted them with cooking. They have two more hours before Bazett and Lancer comes. Due to murders for mana, all schools removed Club Activities recently for the safety of students. However, thirty minutes later, Aoi came back to the kitchens. 'Aoi-nee?'

'Ta-daaah!' Aoi chimed as a very reluctant Saber came out, dressed in a cute white-and-black empire-waist, flowy above knee-length dress that looked like the smaller white dress was put over the black one, and a ribbon under the bustline. Saber's hair was let down and she's wearing a matching headband. She even has a neck ribbon, and bracelets on her wrists. 'Isn't she cute?' Shirou's jaws droped. His sister made a cute girl out of Saber!

'Holy cow!' Shirou exclaimed, nearly dropping what he was holding...a pan of tamagoyaki he was about to roll up. 'She's definitely not going home alone if she goes out tonight!'

Saber was blushing awkwardly.

'D-do I have to be really this cute?' Saber choked out. The past few days, day three after she was summoned, Aoi screamed in rage that Saber, because all men in Britain in her time were failures and she pulled the sword out of the stone, she was forced to live as a man all her life unable to enjoy the perks of being a girl in her era or find a boy to fall in love with, she wanted Saber to at least experience what being a girl was like during her stay. Such as enjoying fashion, good food, and the freedom to act like a girl. Thus on their free times, Aoi teaches her how to act like a proper maiden and 'do not be like Taiga' and Sakura was a better role model for a prim and proper girl. While Shirou and Sakura tolerates Taiga's antics, the three minus one knew Aoi hated Taiga and expresses them when the woman was out of earshot. Her disgust was due to the fact that she is an unreliable adult and three KIDS are taking CARE of HER instead of an adult taking care of THEM and it pisses off the foreign redhead.

Shirou whispered to Sakura and Saber that before their father took her in, she was forced under threat to do chores and cooking for her horrible, abusive and lazy relatives who she delighted in dying slowly, painfully in the fire at Shinto when they were kids. If Aoi could wish something like that on her own family, they must be really horrible...especially as Kiritsugu found her wearing dull, faded, ill-fitting clothes and shoes, and she was malnourished and so skinny she may as well be skin and bones and too small for her age. She was seven like him at the time yet she looked FOUR. Thus her hatred of adults who possessed the traits her hateful family once had and Taiga has one; her laziness and inability to care for herself, forcing three teenagers to care for her. Her fury surmounted even more when she got wind that compared to most teachers in Homurahara, Taiga was a few notches richer.

When she asked one of the teachers who she mind-controlled into telling her how Taiga has more money than any teacher, especially when she's not getting financial support from Raiga unless its emergency...she got wind that Taiga openly-and happily admits to freeloading in the Emiya House for food, saving her on food bills and enjoy deluxe cooking as the Emiyas were better cooks than restaurants, and she can go shopping longer!

Shirou and Sakura had never seen her so angry and that was last year. Sakura hid behind Shirou who was just as cowering in fear when Aoi exploded. Taiga who was a big eater who could eat food four four-to-five men could eat was costing them so much in food bills they spend money more than they earn from their part-time jobs as their money that Raiga manages were in store for their schooling and bills so their own salaries were for their livelihood expenses.

In her anger, try as Shirou and Sakura could to stop her, powerful laxatives seem to get into Taiga's food and drinks somehow but laxatives didn't deter her from still leeching on them but at least, due to 'stomachache by overeating' she starts eating less and less until she eats portions enough for only one person, costing the siblings less on food groceries as a result. Sakura once suggested to go to Raiga for the problem but the man is handling their family estate until they're **18**. And he could not be their guardian since he has more work than Taiga does...being a Yakuza who has many business rackets. Nothing illegal at least and he was responsible. Aoi lamented why didn't his responsibility bleed into his granddaughter when she was born. She was more grief and stress than she was worth.

Saber thus began to appreciate herself even more as an individual and as a girl...and started lamenting on what she missed out on in favor of a doomed reign to begin with as her gender cannot stay secret forever, and she had her own bloody sister to thank for that! Her ambitions tore their country and people apart and when the siblings showed her books about her story, apparently things like her gender were edited out and made Mordred look like the culprit when all the kid wanted was her approval as 'her father' and her sister screws things up. Needless to say, Saber was one angry woman and told the siblings the REAL truth about Mordred. The poor girl who was a product of her sister's treachery and deceit that coincided during the time Merlin gave her 'a man's assets' as a birthday joke...that happened to coincide on the day she got peer pressured by her Knights to take a swim with them at the lake and that joke saved her secret, actually!

Shirou thought Merlin wrote her story this way if only to save her name and dignity and changed circumstances, making Saber want to turn back time to crush her mentor's testicles because Mordred is a tragic victim she acknowledged as her child out of kindness but Mordred was not King material as she had no idea what to do when she gets the crown, only making matters worser for her mentally-unstable child who is living with her sister's machinations. Before she died in Camlann, she made a contract with Alaya to have the power to redo her life so she would never be King, and the people she loved would never be hurt because she was King. Her reign was doomed at the start with or without Morgana le Fay. Even with Merlin's help, she was craftier than he is. Thus she became a Heroic Spirit and put in the cycle of the Grail War System's Throne of Heroes.

She wanted to redo her life with her memories intact because she was given away as a baby to her foster father who was a Knight by her true father, the King who lamented his heir isn't a boy and girls can't be King. Bad enough Morgana was a girl too he didn't want to try again only to be disappointed again.

Its only natural for her masters to think men in her era are utter jackasses.

Back then in her time, women hardly have rights...

xxx

Around seven, the doorbell rang. A mouse placed on the highest branch of the tree in their backyard near the gate was the local familiar and gate watcher and it had a bowl of water and berries near it for sustenance before they let it go. Through the mouse, they saw that their guests came along, dressed like humans.

'They're here, Aoi-nee.' said Shirou. 'Can you adjust out field?'

'Right...' Aoi left the living room(that also doubled as Dining Room) to go to their father's room where the keystone to their Fields were to let them in while Saber opened the gates to let them in. Of course, despite how cute she is, the two knew she's pretty strong.

'Well, don't come out too soon.' said Saber. 'You need our help to get in but you don't need help to get out.' she warned them. 'And don't do anything stupid either.'

'Yeah yeah...you're actually pretty cute when you cleaned up nicely!' Lancer grinned with wagging eyebrows. 'Compared to that eyesore blue ball gown of yours, this is an improvement!' Saber twitched.

'Be quiet, you!' she grunted. 'That's what Knights in Britain wears!' Lancer looked like he was gagging due to some mental image he was having, making Bazett whack his head with her hand.

'Men wear ball gowns? Good thing I lived in Ireland!' Lancer exclaimed in horror. He just couldn't imagine herself wearing stuff Saber does...how they do it, he definitely didn't want to know.

'Lancer! I need to sleep tonight and I can do without your weird imaginations!' Bazett shrieked because whatever Lancer was picturing seeps into her own mind, horrifying her because it was just...ewww.

Upon entry to the house, the table was laden with freshly-cooked food that also smells...great...

'Well...wow.' Bazett gasped out as there was a beautiful banquet setting on the table. 'I know from books Japanese take hospitality seriously but...WOW!' she choked out as Lancer was shamelessly drooling, making her whack him again.

'Yare yare, I know we're superb cooks and seeing that reaction anytime is priceless.' Shirou snorted in amusement as the two settled down. 'I heard from Aoi-nee you wanted to ally with us?'

'Yeah.' said Bazett. 'Let's face it, unlike the previous war, this fifth one is IMPOSSIBLE.' she deadpanned. 'Almost everyone summoned powerful Greek Heroes from Mythology who has divinity. There's no way we can win on our own. From the records in the Association, I got wind that two Masters hired the Sophia-Ris to find powerful artifacts for them to use in this war.' she said. 'Those two Masters are from the Matou, and from a particularly sexist jackass from some noble family.'

'Matou...' Shirou mumbled as their minds thought of Sakura for some reason. 'What artifacts did they get?'

'Ancient Literature heavily related to the Witch of Betrayal, Medea and a Mirror from an Earth Temple relating to the Gorgons.' the siblings face-palmed.

'Who is the MORON who thinks they can handle Medea of all people?!' Aoi sputtered out, wide-eyed. 'She allies with no one or only if its convenient, then when they're no longer useful they're dead! That's according to folklore!'

'We can bet that, that poor bastard is dead by now and she manages to make someone else her Master.' Shirou shook his head. 'What a moron...'

'See what I mean?' Bazett deadpanned. 'That's why she's dangerous, we can't take her on our own unless we have powerful magic resistance...and if she's bored of whoever her current Master is, she may gun for us next and I like Lancer very much!' she exclaimed as Lancer choked in his soup.

'We're attached to Saber too.' said Shirou. 'We better huddle for the time being. And who's the Gorgon in question? Stheno? Euryale or heaven forbid, _Medusa_?'

'Could be one of them because that mirror is from the remains of their temple.' said Bazett. 'All three Gorgon Sisters live in the same temple so it's a random bet on who's who. The Gorgon is the Matou Servant while Medea was summoned by Mr. High-n'-mighty-who-just-died.' she said wryly. 'That's what he gets for underestimating girls...' she scoffed. 'I even got great money from London as reward for returning his Magic Crest with no strings attached.'

'Right...anything else of concern?' Aoi asked her.

'Well...the Einzbern Master.' said Lancer. 'The dude is too strong and just won't die.' he grumbled. 'We're guessing he's also greek.'

'Oh, Illya-neesan eh?' said Aoi. 'She knows of the situation as well. Because she is an Einzbern, one of the three founding families of this system, she's probably researching what the hell is going on with the Grail.'

'So she's an ally too?'

'Pretty much. We're waiting for what she knows before we can act.' said Shirou. 'We really need to destroy it. A corrupted System that twists wishes...it may very well corrupt the Root itself if used and we're all doomed.' he said grimly. 'The Einzbern, Tohsaka and Matou can shit for all we care, they can just rebuild after destroying the corrupt one.'


	10. The Truth about the Grail

The Truth about the Grail

Aoi skipped school and feigned sickness, going as far as sending enchanted paper that looks like a medical certificate by fax. She also manipulated Taiga to her vengeful pleasure to eat out in expensive restaurants till she goes broke every dismissal time if only to make Raiga notice how irresponsible and loose she is with money.

'Your revenge is scary, Aoi-nee.' Shirou shuddered as they arrived at school at night with their new allies. 'Isn't laxatives enough?'

'She cost us so much money in two years, Shirou.' Aoi smirked viciously. 'We should be enjoying our hard-earned salaries from our part-time jobs that doesn't even earn much, not spend most of it on useless deadweights and said deadweight is a fully-paid TEACHER!' she growled. 'Not only do we have to feed her and she eats enough for five damn people who may as well be bottomless pits in comparison, we also had to deal with her bratty immaturity and irresponsibility, and her inability to care for herself. We became adults in mind because our fucking guardian is a total brat! Even Sakura was forced to grow up and learn how to care for a total adult brat because of her!' she grunted. 'Makes me wish father didn't die four years ago. So now it's her damn turn to lose money as I will no longer tolerate spending our meager salaries for her and maybe we can enjoy teenage-hood for a damn change!'

'She's holding in quite a grudge isn't she?' Bazett asked Saber wryly who sighed.

'That's not even half of it.' the blonde deadpanned as Shirou was trying to pacify his sister whose blood was still boiling. 'I hear last year her anger was terrifying Shirou and a friend nearly wet themselves when she got wind from a helpful source their guardian was freeloading on us so she has more money for shopping and save on food while eating them out of house and home. She started because Shirou and Aoi are great cooks and you can testify to that. Their great skills in cooking was thanks to Structural Grasp Magecraft, enabling them to understand and how to bring out the best in food by determining what steps are needed to do so.'

'Never knew Magecraft can be used for good home life...' Bazett sighed, sounding like she was lamenting it for not thinking it can be used that way. 'And to think most Magi thought that was useless.'

'Yeah, never ate anything like that either.' Lancer sighed dreamily before scowling. 'Then again, in our era food ain't that tasty.' Saber had the aura of doom and gloom as the two knights sulked to Bazett's disbelief.

'Oy oy...' she sweatdropped. 'We better begin our job and dispel the sources again. Once we piss off this person, they'll come out for sure and we can nail them.'

'Right...' and they split up.

xxx

Matou Mansion...

Rider who was watching over Sakura who wasn't feeling too good while cooking dinner perked up. '...Rider?'

'My Sources are being rapidly dispelled again.' said Rider as Sakura sighed.

'Niisan will be mad again.' she said wearily, sounding exhausted.

'Why can't you just take me back?' Rider asked her. 'That way I wouldn't have to use Blood Fort Andromeda for mana as I would get mine from you. And even if I did consume the students in the school, its not even enough and I don't want to kill a whole city...'

'I know...but I really don't want to fight the only two people who cared for me and who were more family to me than my own blood...and senpai and Aoi-san are living together with their Servant.' said Sakura. 'If I lose them...I wouldn't have anyone anymore.' she said softly. Rider grimaced. Not long ago she dreamed of Sakura's life and Sakura dreamed about hers when they were connected. Even with Shinji having the Book of False Attendant, the two still have their connection. Rider is only forced to obey Shinji as he has one of Sakura's Command Spells. And being the active Master through Zouken's methods, she really doesn't get mana from him, being born without Magic Circuits.

'Rider...'

'Yes?' Sakura turned to her and raised up her left arm where her Command Spells are, appearing at the back of her hand after the concealing magic on it was removed. 'Sakura?' she would give her an absolute order?

'Rider...I feel that something terrible will happen to me soon...there are times I black out and feel something terribly wrong with me.' said Sakura. 'I don't know why but I feel so ill recently.' she said in a rather lethargic manner. 'So I will give you my first and only absolute order.' she said. 'By my name, Matou Sakura...I order you with my Command Spell...' one of her two seals glowed. 'That if anything were to happen to me that's beyond our control, you are to go and ally yourself with Emiya Shirou and Emiya Aoi and do all you can to stop me.' and the spell was consumed.

'...very well.' said Rider softly as Sakura got shaky on her feet, making her quickly grab onto the edge of the table as she nearly collapsed. 'Sakura!'

'I-it's happening again...' Sakura gasped out weakly as her vision was blurry. "So...so hungry..."

'I'll take you to your room.' said Rider as she lifted Sakura up bridal style.

'But...dinner...'

'Through our connection or what's little of it I learned how to cook. You need your rest!' Rider reassured her as they went for Sakura's room. 'I shall do the rest.' and Sakura fell limp in her arms. "What the hell is going on?" she thought worriedly. She knew of the worms...could the worms be affecting Sakura in a bad way?

She had no choice but to wait.

xxx

Einzbern Castle...

Illya paused in her work with Zelretch as she felt something.

'Illya?' the old man asked her.

'I felt...a heartbeat that wasn't mine.' she told him. 'I felt a heartbeat because I'm still a Grail Vessel.' she said. 'But this heartbeat feels really wrong.' Zelretch frowned at this.

'It's starting.' said Zelretch. 'Sakura will soon become 'the Shadow'.'

'Shit.' she ran out of the laboratory. 'I better send a message!'

xxx

At school where they waited...they got a bird carrying a letter.

'What's it say?' Bazett asked Shirou who took the bird's letter. He opened the envelope and took it out.

They saw him stiffen.

'We better go to Einzbern Castle. Now.' he said severely. 'The streets are no longer safe for anyone. Not even Servants. The Corruption took form of a Malicious Shadow that will eat and eat anything in its way. Right now all we can do is run until it gets a little solid for us to actually harm. The way it is now, its not even a fair fight and we'll just be food.'

'We better scram it then.' said Aoi as they ran for it, taking to using Reinforcement to jump like ninjas to catch up with the Servants, heading for Einzbern Castle in the Suburbs with the siblings leading as they know where it was.

So does Saber actually.

Einzbern Castle...

'Get in here quick!' Illya griped as she opened the door. 'Stay here until I fully activate my Bounded Fields...I've been improving them to keep it out when I opened the right book about the Grail...as a Homunculus, I'm an exotic banquet to that thing.'

'But what if it manages to get through the fields, neesan?' Shirou asked Illya worriedly.

'Then there's nowhere to run to.' said Illya softly in a grim expression. 'As much as how this sounds cruel, we have to let it eat and for some people to die so it gets solid enough for us to kill. I'll explain the rest why later, stay by the stairs!' and she ran off.

'...we have to let people die just so it's solid enough for us to kill?' Saber choked out. 'What about Noble Phantasms then?'

'Er last I checked, Shadows are intangible...' Bazett pointed out. 'We can't kill what can't be harmed in the first place and there's a way but none of us know how to do it.'

'How?!'

'The Church.' said Bazett. 'Their Black Keys and certain spells can harm spirits and that shadow thingy is possibly a spirit but with intangibility but...' she groaned. 'I don't want to die in Kotomine's hands and have our spells and servants stolen from us...'

'Great, only one we can turn to is an absolute bastard.' Shirou sulked.

xxx

To Archer, he was racing home to the Tohsaka Estate and fast.

'Rin, pack anything of value and we have to get the hell out of here now.' he said urgently to his Master who was reading a Magic Book.

'What's going on, Archer?' Rin frowned at how serious and grave her usually snarky Servant is.

'I'll explain just pack spare clothes, what mystic codes and jewels you have, money and we run. We have twenty minutes before that monster goes near our area and we're worse than dead if it catches us.' said Archer. 'Hurry! I'll explain on the run!' confused, Rin went to do as told but she really didn't have much jewels and there's only the Azoth Sword...

'OK, what the hell is going on?' Rin asked Archer as he was carrying her and her small bag.

'Reinforce your eyes and look behind us.' Archer positioned her in a way so she could see...a black and red something slowly approaching the streets where they once were. 'You're not a spirit so you can't tell how dangerous that thing is to us...not even we Servants are safe from that thing!'

'If you say so, then how can we beat it?' Rin choked out as the shadow went inside a house and she feared for the people inside.

'I'll tell you when we find a hiding place that's preferably a 100 meters away. And nothing we can do about the neighbors, they're food by now.' Rin choked at this.

'I can't believe it, I'm responsible for Fuyuki as this land has been magically owned by my family for generations, and I can't do a thing!' Rin moaned in dismay. 'I have to find a way because with so many families missing by now, we have to do a massive cover-up! Once we determine it's safe, we're contacting the Association.'

xxx

Einzbern Castle...

Bazett took out a magical recording device and activated it. She asked them to speak in English as not all Magi understands Japanese. The only people who BOTHER studying it are those wanting to be Holy Grail War participants.

'OK Illya, what can you tell us?' Shirou asked Illya as they were all at the living room with all Servants present. 'You know what the shadow is and we don't and right now, it's eating humans for mana.'

'At the Third Grail War...the Einzberns committed a violation.' Illya told them. 'That's what tainted the Great Grail. At the time, someone else was family head and he was getting impatient with wanting back the family miracle, the Third True Magic that we lost 1234 years ago. Avenger, the eighth class they created using the methods created in the system that enabled summoning of seven Servants. Before I tell you about that, I will tell you the truth about this war in order to understand what we're up against. What everyone currently knows, The Holy Grail grants any wish. Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka cooperated to conduct a ritual to summon the Holy Grail. That's how the Holy Grail War came to be. A murderous battle between seven summoned Servants to determine the ownership of the Holy Grail. Magi who are chosen as Masters become the hosts of the Servants and kill each other until only one magus remains.'

'That's the ostensible reason for the Holy Grail War that everyone knows of.' she said. 'In the ritual of the war, Masters are mere receptors to summon the Servants. Once they've done that, they can die at any time. The heroic spirits are the only ones needed to complete the Holy Grail. Heroic spirits are pure souls separate from the time axis. Though they are outside of this world's logic, they can still influence it.'

'That's the power they needed. They tried to exit into the outer world using that power. That's the real purpose of the Holy Grail in this land. The Holy Grail Wars were waged to create a phenomenon, a miracle, that is still out of human reach. That's the Great Ritual to attain immortality lost by the Einzberns. Not a heroic spirit or a holy spirit, but a soul of a mere human that's fated to disappear from this world. Bringing it about is an act of God. We call it...Heaven's Feel...the Third of the Five Great Sorceries.'

'Sorceries...you mean THOSE sorceries?!' Bazett choked out. It's the Ultimate Goal of every Magus. Those who achieved it are called Magicians and looked on with envy and awe. 'So far there's Four known to exist. The old man of the Jewels Zelretch, and the new Magician who controls the Fifth Great Magic, Aozaki Aoko. The other two who are far older than Zelretch are unknown. And the Third Sorcery is Materialization of the Soul...but we can materialize Servants right?'

'Well, that's not exactly the case.' said Illya. 'The system does use a part of the Third Sorcery, but the heroic spirits are summoned. Servants aren't alive as part of this world or time. It's too imperfect to be the Third Sorcery. And heroic spirits can take form in this world without the help of sorcery as long as they have a host.' she explained. 'Heavens Feel is not a spell that duplicates a soul perceived in the past. It's actually a spell to make an existence of a higher dimension that can take a spirit form and still influence the physical world. It takes a soul and elevates it to the next level of life.'

'That's really serious business then.' said Aoi with a frown. 'Even though the details are different, all Sorceries are a way to reach the Origin! What does it have to do with the Holy Grail?'

'First of all, there's only one administrated land in Japan that can activate a sorcery. I know the ley line in Fuyuki is first-class, but there's not enough distortion to connect to the origin.' Illya pointed out. 'It's not distorted enough to reach the origin. That's why you make a hole. If the path is obstructed, you have to destroy the wall yourself, right?' she chuckled. 'The Holy Grail War is the process of destroying the wall. The process accumulates enough magical energy to grant any wish. But that's just a secondary matter for the Einzbern family. And it was also an advertisement to call for the Masters, the sacrifices.'

'In short we were used huh?' Bazett shook her head. 'All of us, Masters and Servants have our own wishes we want granted...the perfect lure indeed.' Illya looked childishly sheepish.

'The Einzberns only needed a giant magic circle that could store great amounts of magical energy without attracting the notice of the Magic Association.' she continued. 'The head of the Tohsaka family at that time cooperated with them. This country doesn't receive much attention from the Association due to prejudice against Asians, and there aren't many first-class lands that rank next to Aozaki's land. Fuyuki City was almost the perfect test site, meeting all the requirements.' she reasoned. 'There are two kinds of Holy Grails that govern the Holy Grail War.'

'The Holy Grail in this land and the Holy Grail Einzbern prepares. That is the Lesser Grail and we Homunculi are created and modified using methods known only to the Einzbern to become the Lesser Grail when Masters and Servants kill each other enough, and the souls of deceased Servants are absorbed by the Homunculus. By each soul, the vessel slowly loses their humanity and personality...and around the fifth soul, they would turn into the Cup itself.' Illya said grimly as she knew what exactly, happened to her mother and her siblings gave her reassuring squeezes on the shoulders. Something she was grateful for.

'Then after the Lesser Grail, The next is a magic circle that uses the land administrated by Tohsaka. This is called the Great Holy Grail. To access it, the Lesser Grails are needed and the Einzbern is responsible for the creation of Grail Vessels.'

'And once the Lesser Grail collects enough souls to activate the Great Holy Grail, it uses the heroic spirits' souls to open a hole. The Great Holy Grail fixes the small hole created when the heroic spirits return to their original place after their roles are fulfilled. This opens up the passage to the origin that humans cannot reach.' Illya explained. 'Of course, this is just the first step. Your wish isn't granted even if the hole is opened. The path to the origin is too far.' everyone choked at this.

'In short, we're duped?' Lancer sputtered out as Illya coughed.

'In a way...yeah.' she said. 'However, the one who obtains the Holy Grail gains access to unlimited magical energy. The other side has large quantities of unused mana unlike anything seen on this side. For an ordinary magus, it's nothing short of a miracle.'

'I see. So the Great Holy Grail is the magic circle which serves as the foundation, and the Holy Grail is the key to activate it. The Holy Grail Wars must occur on a sixty-year cycle to accumulate enough mana to summon the heroic spirits.' Lancer mused thoughtfully. 'There's no way you can carry out such a summoning with one person's magical energy. The Great Holy Grail draws mana from the land slowly so as not to deplete it, and once it's full...!'

'Yes, it summons the heroic spirits as Servants.' said Illya. 'But you need an incentive to summon the heroic spirits. They won't heed your call unless you give them what they want. That's why the Holy Grail was prepared to reward them. Well, that's a deception from the start. The Einzberns just wanted the souls of the heroic spirits. They didn't care about their rank. They just wanted strong souls. To hide that fact, they created the Holy Grail War as a cover. They deceived the Servants and Masters and made them kill each other.'

Needless to say, the Emiya siblings, Bazett, Lancer and Saber looked royally pissed.

'Well, I guess that started from the second ritual.' Illya quipped. 'The first was conducted in a foolishly honest manner and failed right away because the three families fought for its exclusive right when they got wind that the system and ritual they created together only has enough power for one wish. The alliance between Einzbern, Tohsaka and Makiri ended thus. The last time Reinhardt von Einzbern, Nagato Tohsaka and Zolgen Makiri talked to each other after that, was to create the Holy Grail War system. Outsiders were called and made to fight for the Holy Grail.'

'Masters from outside the families were just an inconvenience after the Servants had been summoned, so it more efficient to have them killed in battle. It was convenient for the three families because they could legitimately kill their collaborators.'

Illya ended her explanation.

Silence...


	11. Angra Mainyu

Angra Mainyu

'OK, all of us are duped right from the very beginning by the three Founders.' Saber swore at this. 'So many people died because three families are working to kill competition and kill their Servants to power up the Holy Grail? While in the process ensuring they themselves survive this war for the prize?' she growled out. Moreover a wish can't even be granted. What use does she have for so much mana when she wasn't even a Magus, even if she and Kiritsugu won the last one?

Now she was fully able to accept why Kiritsugu blew up the damn thing.

'Yes. I knew of this because I am a descendant of the Homunculus Template that created Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern who is currently the core of the Greater Grail. Homunculi created based on her template share her memories of the Founding of the Heaven's Feel System...and while she stayed as the core, she sends us historical information on what transpires in the later wars to the next generation...with an instruction NOT to tell the Einzbern for some reason she won't say yet.' Illya deadpanned. 'Somehow, she stayed uncorrupted by Avenger because Avenger could not corrupt her, the core, otherwise she would slowly rot and cease to exist, taking him with her.'

'Who IS Avenger?' Aoi asked her.

'Before we get to him, there is another thing all of you should know first...what exactly Zolgen Makiri, now known as Matou Zouken has unleashed upon us and the whole world, and why we have that dangerous shadow running around in the first place.' Illya grunted. 'This begins with a man's poor judgment of character and most likely, did NOT study his history lessons. Tohsaka Tokiomi, one of the contenders of the Fourth War...and the father of Tohsaka Rin and Matou, formerly Tohsaka Sakura.'

'That means Sakura and the Ice Queen of the school are siblings?' Shirou croaked out. 'But they hardly speak to each other! Heck, at lunch break, there are times we pass each other and both acted as if the other didn't exist.'

'You know the coldhearted ways of the Magi father told us about, Shirou.' Aoi told her. 'That's why we all chose to live happily as heretic Spellcasters in the first place, enjoying life, family, and the pleasures of life while studying magic.' she pointed out. 'We may have studied Magecraft, but we did not live the coldhearted, callous lifestyle of a Magi who bases life as a Magi, not as family, or even a person. Most likely, Sakura got pawned off to the Matous.' she grumbled. 'How a nice girl like her got given away must be because she's no Ice Queen like her sister.'

'Now now, not all of us are like that.' Bazett reassured her but slighltly offended the siblings thought of every Magus like that, it won't be surprising if these two made a lot of enemies. 'The reason you have such views is most likely before the Magus Killer adopted the both of you, he met such people consecutively, he never met any nice or fun-loving Magi.' she pointed out. 'Heck, my family's nice and friendly even though we have a lineage blessed by the gods and you don't see me going high and mighty around anybody!'

'I guess...' the siblings sighed.

'What sealed the deal was probably the Einzberns anyway when he was employed by them for the Fourth.' Illya sighed. 'Back to where we are...about Sakura. I got wind of this through an extremely very reliable source.'

'Justeaze, right?' said Aoi as Illya played along, because Zelretch didn't want anyone to know he's here.

'Yeah...as the Greater Grail, she can see all of Fuyuki...and observe all Magi who were here.'

She told them what happened to the girl as soon as Zouken got her. And with particularly very detailed descriptions while story-telling...down to the end as Sakura started transforming into the shadow, an embryonic form of Avenger...the Black Lesser Grail. Only, unlike the Lesser Grail created by Einzberns, the Black Grail under influence of Avenger was a murderous, hungry curse that will not stop eating souls as it grows...and Sakura, like any Lesser Grail, will slowly lose herself.

Shirou and Lancer looked murderous.

Aoi burst into tears as had she remained with the Dursleys, either Vernon or Dudley would have raped her too while enduring abuse.

Saber was frozen in shock.

Bazett tried very hard not to throw up on the carpet.

'Sakura...!' Shirou choked out. 'All this time...!' none of them knew Sakura lived in pure hell. At all.

'I'm afraid so.' said Illya. 'As it is now, it's an untouchable embryo controlled by Zolgen.' Illya told them. 'But once Avenger grows a bit more...Sakura will regain her sanity...but it will influence her malice, anger, resentment and grudge due to her suffering for eleven years. Tokiomi for sending her away to a Monster, Rin for not checking up on her as had she done that, she would have discovered the truth and find a way to save her but she never did. Sakura thought that Rin's enjoying life as a normal woman while she languished. The only kindness she received after Matou Kariya died are the two of you.' she pointedly looked at the siblings.

'She sees the two of you as more family than her own and the first friends she ever had. The two of you showed her kindness and care her two families never did. Most likely when Avenger is old enough, Sakura's target as soon as she regains her sanity is pretty obvious...after seeking to devour our Servants to fully become the Lesser Black Grail. Since she has enough power to, get her revenge. But in the process, she will unleash Avenger, the entity who contained six billion curses into the world. I will now tell you about Avenger...Angra Mainyu.'

'Angra Mainyu...?' Lancer frowned.

'They used an old scripture, a foreign folklore they obtained, as catalyst to summon the worst evil possible. They summoned what they shouldn't have summoned to kill all the other Masters, to activate the Great Holy Grail, and to keep all the achievement to themselves.' Illya started speaking again. 'The spirit's name is Angra Mainyu. A murderous anti-hero that embodies every curse in this world.'

'Oy oy...did they really summon such a guy two wars ago?' Lancer croaked out in dread as his master gulped.

'Hold on a moment here,' said Aoi with a frown. 'There's no hero or anti-hero with that name...the Angra Mainyu in the books is the greatest Zoroastrian Devil, the embodiment of evil! No way can mere magi control a horrible monster like that!' she fired out her words rapidly out of dread.

'First of all, how can someone crowned with the name of the king of devils become a heroic spirit?' Saber asked her.

'...a hero named Angra Mainyu really did exist.' said Illya. 'Otherwise the Grail can't summon him.' she pointed out. 'Yes, the story takes place a long time ago. Insanely long ago, in a very small world. It was a hero that lived in a small, nameless village that practiced Zoroastrianism. In the story, they were a twisted lot. I don't know what led them to that idea. But they lived cleanly and righteously in accordance with their precepts.'

'People are supposed to value goodness, protect the light, and live virtuous lives. For these people, segregated from the rest of the world, this supplication was absolute. It was probably the only source of human pride that they knew.' Illya sighed. 'The people in the village earnestly wished for everyone to live in peace. So everyone could be free from malice and live pure, upright lives. They renounced such human concerns as hunger, conflict, love, and hate. They were proud to be worthy of God's blessing.' Aoi rolled her eyes in scorn at this. 'But it was impossible. People can't be freed from malice just through clean, righteous living. From the moment we are born, there is evil in us. You must take certain measures if you want to separate evil from yourself. And...those measures were taken.'

'Measures,' Shirou gasped out.

'They came up with a way to save not just their small village, but the whole world. It's hard to make everyone do good. But you can prove everyone's goodness. …You just need one person. If one person embodies all the evils of the world, the rest of the people cannot be evil, no matter what. They seriously believed in such a simple, child-like theory.' Illya drawled in almost mocking sneer.

'So they made a scapegoat of some random poor schmuck?' Lancer asked her almost incredulously, baffled with the sheer idiocy in the story.

'Yes...this poor schmuck as you so put it was chosen by the village elders.' Illya said. 'This man, upon hearing of it was horrified and tried to run. They captured him, carved every cursed word onto his body, forced every sin imaginable upon him, and held him responsible for all evils in the world. The people cursed, scorned, feared, yet adored this man. They believed they were pure and righteous, since all the world's evil was within him.'

'They seriously believed it'd save everyone in the world and created a devil. To demonstrate human goodness, they continuously tortured this man until he went insane. No, they would not allow him to die until he succumbed to old age.' Illya shook her head. 'He was given the name Angra Mainyu, and was irrationally hated by everyone in the world. They hated and feared him, but he was the proof of their goodness. They revered him as the sign of their salvation. He was the object of everyone's hate, but he saved people.  
His existence pardoned everyone of their evil deeds. Though his method was unusual, he still saved people. He became a hero for the villagers.'

'That's utter bullshit! They already committed evil and sins by torturing him unjustly!' Shirou sputtered out angrily. 'And now because of what Zouken did to win this war, we'll be made to pay the price for what these dumbass Neanderthals caused?! If he's out, his Noble Phantasm would likely be six billion curses, enough for every man, woman and child in the world!' she exclaimed in horror.

'Not entirely but being in the Grail gave him that kind of power.' Illya sighed. 'When he was summoned, he was just a weak human.' many jaws dropped. 'The anti-hero was defeated in the early stage of the war, and the Holy Grail took him in. The Master of Einzbern grieved how this ordinary human could be a devil that destroys the human world. The heroic spirit was merely human. A human that cursed the world. A human who everyone wanted to represent their evil. So he had no power. He was merely constructed by the people around him. But everything reversed the instant he was taken in by the Holy Grail.'

'I see an uh-oh in there.' Shirou frowned.

'The Holy Grail grants wishes. When defeated, Servants are reduced to raw magical energy and are taken in by the Holy Grail to await their release. They lose their individual personalities and stay in the Holy Grail as an omnipotent power.' neither Saber and Lancer liked that. Berserker was present but since he was purposefully insane, he didn't understand anything at all. 'But Angra Mainyu was different. He was a heroic spirit that others wished for. He was intended to be evil, regardless of his personality.'

'D-don't tell me...' Lancer groused out with his right eyebrow twitching. Nobody liked this as they started to feel dread in their hearts.

'Yes. The Holy Grail grants every wish. He was a mere human, but wasn't treated as one. So he was an embodiment of people's wishes.' said Illya. 'So the instant Angra Mainyu was taken in by the Holy Grail, the Holy Grail accepted a wish. His wish as soon as the Grail got enough Mana. An existence that should not be. The heroic spirit constructed from people's selfish wishes was finally given flesh within the wish-granting Holy Grail.'

'…Five hundred years under the Makiri and a thousand under the Einzbern are nothing. After all, he's an ideal human that has been wished for since the age of gods, over two thousand years ago.' Illya sighed. 'That's what that shadow is. It finally obtained form as a heroic spirit. Angra Mainyu used Servants' colorless magical energy to embody all evils of the world. Wanting only to be evil. It slowly matured with an ability to curse all six billion people.'

'That means, the lives of six billion people are in our hands.' Shirou shuddered. 'That's one hell of a job.'

'Yeah...it's up to us to save the world no matter how cheesy that sounded.' Bazett grimaced. 'Even sadder, if we die here no one will carry our will if we failed.' she said sardonically.

'No pressure there.' said Lancer sarcastically.

'Well, humans are arrogant.' Illya said wryly. 'That small village who created him and the Einzbern of the Third War especially so for thinking they can control one hell of a devil as their Servant.' she shook her head ruefully.

'Then what? The contents of the Holy Grail have already been tainted by him? The wish the Holy Grail grants is already determined, and the fourth war took place only to store up the magical energy needed to give him form?' Saber asked her because she could really imagine the prospect happening.

'Yes. I don't know how much Kiritsugu knew about Angra Mainyu. But believing the shadow leaking from it to be dangerous, he destroyed the Holy Grail.' said Illya. 'It's proof he exists because it twisted his wish for a peaceful world for the three of us to live in. Me, mother and him together. A world with no conflict. A world that didn't need Magus Killers like him and bloodshed. He imagined such a utopia...but the Grail twistedly interpreted his wish as what Shirou and Aoi told me.' she said with a grimace.

'Heard about that too.' said Bazett. 'The Grail put the world in darkness, and all people in the world gone bar you and Emiya, because Irisviel is consumed by the Grail as its vessel. That's what it showed him and he didn't want such a pure hell and the lives and blood of six billion people in his hands so he blew the Grail up.'

'And his course of action was right.' said Illya. 'No matter what the previous Angra Mainyu was, the Angra Mainyu that formed inside the Holy Grail is real. It will become the greatest evil in the world, a devil that will kill every human being alive as revenge for the hellish life the Zoroastrians forced upon him and since they're long dead, he'll take it out on us, the descendants of those foolish, ancient humans. Zolgen must've known that a Servant was about to be born in the Holy Grail. That's why he implanted a piece of it in Sakura, creating a link between her and that Servant. He made Sakura a Master so that she can control the Servant once it emerges...'

'No matter what Avenger is, it's still a Servant. No Servant, no matter how strong, can disobey his Master.' Illya quipped. 'That's Zolgen's plan. He wants to use Sakura to obtain Angra Mainyu.'

'Are you serious?' Shirou gasped out. 'Even if Sakura controls Angra Mainyu that way, she can't resist the taint of the magical energy.  
She's already changed that much when Angra Mainyu is still inside the Holy Grail, so her personality will disappear completely once it comes out. Then being a Master won't matter.'

'That's fine. Zolgen isn't worried about Sakura's personality. What matters to him is her body and its connection to Angra Mainyu.' Illya snorted. 'He's planning to take over her empty body after her personality disappears. I don't think you know, but Zolgen can take over anyone's body as long as the worm bearing his soul exists. That's how he stayed alive until now. From the start, Sakura was just a body to eventually possess.'

'Then we'll fucking kill him, simple as that.' Shirou growled. 'We'll find a way to get him out of Sakura somehow without killing her.'

'No, Sakura will do it on her own.' the others turned to Illya incredulously. 'Right now she is a Grail Vessel. She gets mana from the souls she is forced to eat from the people she is forced by Zolgen to kill under his control. With so much mana as she matures, she will regenerate from injuries quickly on a level no Healing Magic can do. And she must do it herself.' she emphasized. 'Because if any of us, especially the two people she is endeared to at her current mental state, we will lose our advantage. Zolgen can think what he likes but the ones who can truly control Sakura are the two of you. You can stop her insanity and convince her to stop and by telling her how. But she must be the one to kill Zolgen or she will never let go of her feelings and Avenger feeds on her malice.'

'Well...shit.' Shirou choked miserably. 'Any other problems?'

'Me.' said Illya as everyone froze. 'Right now I'm researching ways to undo my modifications as a Grail Vessel as my revenge to the Einzberns for lying to me for ten years about father.' Illya smiled coldly. The siblings knew she got the truth in her own way and acknowledged that so they were relieved. 'Once I undergo the procedure, I'll just be a normal homunculus and with the programming, I can have the lifespan and growth rate of humans as well as the ability to give birth just like mother did. Until then, please buy me time. No doubt Zolgen will come after me.' she said gravely.

'There's two Grails here. Sakura and me. But he needs Sakura's body for himself as his new vessel and body, he can't let her become the Grail or he can't become Avenger's Master so he'll use me come hell or high waters. But I love to disappoint, heheh...' she chuckled. 'I will also plan on closing the gate for good to prevent future arrogant idiots from thinking they can control gods or devils for servants. If we succeed and then in the future some idiot pulled an Einzbern and Zolgen...well, there's no us to save the future.' she shrugged in a rather uncaring manner.

xxx

Elsewhere, in a hotel in Shinto...

Archer...

He was forced to reveal his identity to Rin. Archer is not a proper Heroic Spirit in the sense of other heroes. His true identity is that of Emiya Shirou of an alternate timeline who made a contract with the world and became the Heroic Spirit EMIYA, the embodiment of Emiya Shirou's ideals. He acts as a Counter Guardian for the world as payment for the contract. He is summoned because he still has the jewel pendant that Rin used to save his life after Lancer stabbed his heart. The jewel he owns is the actual catalyst used for his summoning rather than the one that Rin still has at the time of his summoning. He had to reveal who he is in order to explain what was going on in the Fifth War and since he's trapped in a reality-time paradox, he's always summoned by her in all 'three routes' and he absorbs the experiences of the Shirous in all three routes. And he told her of the 'Third Route' as in the first two, the Shadow was never there but at third and fourth, it was there and a threat to the world.

In the three routes, he was a deliberately undereducated Magus because his adoptive father wanted to discourage Shirou from the lifestyle of a Magus and knowing only two useless spells that soon played a key part to his future...and his Noble Phantasm as EMIYA. But a Fourth Route was created because Kiritsugu adopted a British girl whose family died from the Shinto Fire, a result of Kiritsugu's actions. And because the girl who became Emiya Aoi has great magical potential the Magus in Kiritsugu didn't want to waste, he was forced to formally educate both adoptive children and his human self still becomes Saber's Master.

He then told Rin just who and what the shadow is and how it got to be there.

By the time he was done, Rin is very livid and upset. Now she has some goals in mind...


	12. Murder

Murder

Rin was thinking.

All this time, Archer pretended he has no memory because of a faulty summoning. In fact, he is the future Emiya Shirou's embodiment of his ideals who died in his late twenties because of said ideals, the 'Ally of Justice' that Archer himself scorned because Shirou was suffering from his twisted, distorted, rose-colored beliefs because he has a horrible Survivor's Guilt Complex being the only survivor of the Fuyuki Fire, saved by the Magus Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu. Shirou thought that he would save who he can save in places of those who died in the fire to atone for being the only one to survive while everyone else died horribly in the fire. His beliefs got worse when Kiritsugu told him about himself. But he never told Shirou that he has a stepsister who was a year older whom he was forced to leave behind.

Shirou wanted to be a Magus too but Kiritsugu didn't want him to because it's a path of death, blood and pain. But after some bugging, he relented but with a loophole. Out of Shirou's 27 Magic Circuits that were pretty strong but only enough to be a battle-type Magus focusing on weapons had he been properly educated, he only partially awakened two of them to trick Shirou into 'having almost no talent' and told him to give up, but Shirou persisted. Kiritsugu underestimated his determination so he taught him only two spells that with false tutelage in the case of Reinforcement were of absolutely no use to anyone. The other thing was Structural Grasp Magecraft to discourage him further but still, he persisted. And then as he grows older into junior and high school, he found ways to make use of those two spells. Particularly in fixing broken appliances and things, and cooking to the point that Taiga is often freeloading on him.

At some point in Junior High, Shirou befriended Sakura who was awed by his one-track mind determination, and started visiting his house since, if only to be away from the Matous longer, and Shirou was a pleasant, kind company and was the first kindness she ever tasted after ten years since Matou Kariya died in the Grail Wars, leaving her all alone with a horrible family. However, good things end ten years after the Fourth due to the Fifth.

With Rin knowing three routes now, a Fourth came to exist because Kiritsugu adopted a British girl who happily lost her horrible, abusive relatives in the fire of Shinto, freeing her and happily adopted by the Magus Killer and having Shirou as a brother. Because of her occasional uncontrollable bursts of magic as a child, Kiritsugu was forced to formally educate them both as Anti-Magi like him. Both siblings know different ways to skin a Magus if they were ever attacked. Shirou who specialized in martial arts and combat-based sorcery because as a First-Generation Magus, his Circuit Quality isn't much to be a magic-type Magus. Aoi who has great Magical Potential was the magic user between both of them and a Synchronizer Psychic. Because of that, they didn't ally with anyone having each other with a resolve only to die in their foster sister's hands if she didn't believe them, the truth of ten years ago Kiritsugu told them. Fortunately for them, Illyasviel von Einzbern, Kiritsugu's actual blood relation believed them. They are now working together with the Enforcer and Lancer to destroy the Shadow and save Sakura...somehow. If they failed, the lives of six billion are on their conscience as they too, will die. Die a cursed death because of Zouken's Machinations.

This got Rin thinking. She has to report to the Association without somehow damning her sister as a Sealing Designate for something that wasn't even her fault, but the Magi at the Association won't see it that way. She is at a loss.

But she can definitely start with something.

Her sister's rapist as the easiest target for one.

xxx

Next day...

Shirou has the same intentions, but at school, everyone was talking about something in hushed whispers.

'Hey Issei, what's going on?' Shirou asked Issei who gave him an odd look.

'Didn't you see the police and TV crew around the school?' Issei asked him incredulously.

'Er, I did but I have no time for since I'm in charge of chores this week so I always come almost late for class you know.' Shirou told him blandly. 'So spill, man.' Issei grimaced as he pushed up his glasses.

'Early this morning at school, Matou Shinji is found in the school gym by the elderly custodians.' said Issei with a shudder. 'His hands were brutally tortured it's just a mass of flesh and bones. His face just as tortured. Then with his mouth seemingly forced open, somebody stuffed his own er...masculine equipment in his mouth.' he said awkwardly. 'Above his corpse was a message of revenge written in his own blood. The message was, 'I have killed the rapist who raped my sister. I have avenged the crime', making everyone question who was the last girl he was with who he must have raped and her older siblings must have found out leading to this. Everyone at school who has younger siblings is a suspect now. You have a sister right?'

'Shinji meeting Aoi-nee is highly unlikely and she's a few months older than I am but we're the same age.' Shirou snorted. 'Mikagami Girls' is a school outside Fuyuki at Serizawa Town right? There's no way my sister would meet Shinji.'

'I guess...but still, you gotta prove yourself.' said Issei. 'Everyone, I mean, the Faculty and the Police is questioning everyone with younger or older sisters, medical check-ups on every girl to determine the rape victim to determine the killer...even with Fujimura-sensei vouching for you from what I'm hearing, your sister needs checking in our school's clinic to solidify her alibi for you.'

'Yare yare.' Shirou sighed as he took out his cellphone. 'Hello Aoi-nee, play hooky from school and come to Homurahara for a medical check-up just so our names are cleared.' he had to explain what's going on and at some point, he yanked his phone away from his ear with a wince.

'Ouch. She yelled at you huh?' Issei chuckled. 'She must be pissed.'

'Well...Aoi-nee is on the way.' said Shirou, massaging his right ear. 'Ouch.' he whimpered.

xxx

Homurahara Clinic, an hour later...

Aoi had to use magical suggestion to fool the doctor from the police into seeing she's still a virgin and have her name checked off.

She's no longer a virgin, happily giving it to Shirou. 'Well?' Issei asked Shirou as Aoi came out and they looked at Aoi.

'I'm clear.' said Aoi. 'I'm still a virgin you know!' she huffed making Shirou inwardly roll his eyes. 'Honestly...'

'Maa maa, everyone is a suspect so we have to clear our names somehow Aoi-nee. Everyone is a suspected rape victim and killer you know.' Shirou sighed as the TV Crew is filming anyone who comes in and out.

'Well, I'm going back to school.' said Aoi. 'And I'll just have to tell my teachers to watch the TV news tonight as a valid excuse for missing two subjects today. See ya.' and she left.

She was forced to go to school today to make the story consistent.

Meanwhile...

On the rooftop...

'I disposed of your bloody clothes and burned it at the incinerator.' said Archer as the true killer, Rin stood on the roof. She was off in suspicion because as far as anyone knows, she's an only child in records. And Sakura didn't exist in the Tohsaka Family Papers because at the time she was too young to go to school, enabling Tokiomi and Zouken to manipulate the documents. 'Are you satisfied?'

'I wanted to do more but due to lack of time, I'll have to make do with that I guess.' Rin grunted. 'But at least one part of Sakura's suffering is over...all that's left is Zouken himself. I have to find a way around the worm in her heart somehow.'

xxx

Einzbern Castle...

'Heee...so that's what happened.' Illya chuckled as by scrying, she, Bazett and Lancer saw everything. 'Rin is the killer. She found out the truth somehow.'

'She's scary when angered. I mean, she mutilated the guy's hands, his face and eyes gouged out and his thingy stuffed in his mouth.' Lancer shook his head in bemusement.

xxx

Matou Residence...

Rider who was forced to flee after seeing what became of Sakura, not wanting to die in a horrible way other than a fight returned home, after feeling her connection with Shinji gone. And with him dead and the Book destroyed, control of her shifted back to Sakura and she has finally gained a decent mana supply, so she turned off the Blood Fort, having no more use for it.

She's still wary of going home though...

She decided to fulfill her absolute command instead since she was that scared. But she could not find Shirou, Aoi and Saber in the Emiya Residence.

Where could they be?

Two hours and Forty minutes later, she lucked out. She saw Aoi getting onto a school bus so she went astral and got onto said bus to follow the girl to her school. Upon arrival to the bus stop however, Rider waited until she's alone.

Apparently, Aoi is also waiting for her to be alone.

'Come out now, little stalker.' Aoi commanded as Rider materialized. 'Here to eat my soul or something?'

'No...I'm here on an absolute order by Command Spell.' said Rider grimly. 'Please hear me out.'

And Rider told Aoi all she could, but what Rider didn't know, Aoi and everyone involved already knows. Just that this time, things went differently. The Shadow terrified Rider enough to stay away as by instinct, she knew she would die a cursed death which was a fate worse than normal death had she stuck around...and Sakura's wish.

'I see...' Aoi mused thoughtfully. 'And is Sakura aware that she's turning into a soul-hungry shadow at night?'

'At the moment no...all she feels is that she's strangely hungry no matter how much she eats to the point of overeating, and having fainting spells and blackouts.' Rider sighed worriedly. 'I'm the one doing the cooking right now so I can't leave her just yet.'

'I see...your connection to Sakura taught you about the kitchen.' Aoi smiled. 'Go. But be sure to run like hell and don't look back, burned kitchen be damned as long as you save your ass if she becomes Shadow again. We need all hands we can get.' Rider nodded. 'That damn old man...' Aoi muttered. 'The only good thing is only Sakura can kill him in her current state.' she grumbled, shaking her head.

'What do you mean?' Rider frowned warily.

'Rider, because Zouken turned Sakura into his own brand of Grail Vessel, Sakura gets mana from people she devours, giving her more mana than what she can carry and as of this moment, immortal.' Aoi told her. 'Right now Zouken's soul is in a worm inside Sakura's heart that's why we are letting Sakura kill him when she regains her sanity while we find a way to sever her contract with the tainted Grail Zouken created in her. She must find and feel resolution and satisfaction before we can free her to give her soul closure. So for now...as much as we don't want to do this, we must let the shadow grow until it's solid enough for us to strike. And we cannot let Servants die. We need all help we can get. Not only that, we can't let any Eirei be tainted.'

'The reason we can't attack Sakura is because we are only her anchor to sanity.' Aoi continued. 'If we, the people she cares for attacks her...you can only guess what she'll feel. And she will lose to corruption and become what we all don't want to deal with. We must tread carefully. We are at Einzbern Castle.'

'Very well.'


	13. URGENT MESSAGE TO FANS

This Author **urges everyone to sign this petition** as 65117 signature **more** is **still needed to STOP SOPA 2014**.

They're at it again! Can't they give up? Not all of us can FIT in libraries, OR have the TIME to go there ANYWAY. Sure, Piracy is BAD but to stop piracy, just arrest the morons doing it, **DON'T SHUT DOWN INFORMATION/VIDEO WEBSITES** in a bid to stop piracy as WE STUDENTS **NEED** those websites for our **SCHOOLWORK**. Not only that, **RESEARCH MATERIAL for SCHOOL THESIS** one **cannot find in the frigging library** AND we are **THREATENED to lose our SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT!**

We FANFICTION AUTHORS are included in this THREATENED LIST.

Please **SIGN UP** at the .gov and once you LOG IN, please find  .gov/petition/stop-sopa-2014/q0Vkk0Zr and **PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION.**

We need **65117 more before March 19 2014**.

If we fail to make it on time...

BYE BYE to THINGS WE LOVE ON THE INTERNET.

90% WORLDWIDE WILL BE AFFECTED.

To** STOP PIRACY**, just arrest the morons doing it without affecting 90% of the people across the globe **WHO NEEDS THE INTERNET by SHUTTING DOWN WEBSITES.**

To those who would spare a few minutes to sign, you helped millions in our community.

THANK YOU!


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